Mixing Business With Pleasure
by vicioux
Summary: Welcome to Shihoun Constructions, where the Kuchiki project is in full swing, the company president is ogling the head architect and company vice president Soi Fon is about to strangle one Grimmjow Jeagerjacques.  Just another day at the office...
1. Chapter 1

Subject: HELL-O!

3/10/10 12:43pm

Hey Bee.

Damn girl, did you see the new guy in charge of the Kuchiki project? Mmmm, I love blondes with brains. Will be down in a bit to sign those papers you needed and discuss weekend plans.

Ciao bella,

Y.

Subject: Hahaha – NO!

3/10/10 12:47pm

Yoruichi,

You fool no one. Don't you dare scare off our new head architect – it took us ages to get someone of Kisuke Urahara's calibre here. And, just in case the sound of my face-palm didn't reach you in the level above, I am perfectly aware that you'll only be down to sign those things you've spent weeks avoiding because my office is opposite the current headquarters of the Kuchiki project planning centre.

Woman, you're transparent. And I'm bringing the papers to you.

So there.

Soi.

P.S. Who's the other guy with him? Please tell me we haven't actually hired the guy with bright blue hair. I could have sworn we had standards.

P.P.S. You are not dragging me out this weekend. I'm still recovering from the last one and, since it is now _Thursday,_ you owe me big time. I will never understand what it is with you and tequila. It never ends well.

Subject: No fun

3/10/10 1:05pm

Bee, that's just cruel. The man has grey eyes – like glass for Kami-sama's sake! I'm a sucker for that, and you know it. Hell, he looks like my dream guy – can you blame me for wanting to find out if he's sufficiently snarky and amusing like my dream guy, too? It's been waaaaay too long. Don't you want to help your lovelorn boss find that special someone?

P.S. Uh, will you hate me when I say we have? He's part of Kisuke's team, and we hired them all. It was the only way to get him on board. 'Sides, what standards? We hired Renji and Kenpachi, and they look way scarier than this guy.

P.P.S. I don't think so, Bee. We're going out Friday night and tearing it up. I'm picking you up at nine, whether you're willing or not – you know I can totally take you in a fight.

Subject: Standards and Shihoun Constructions – apparently mutually exclusive

3/10/10 1:11pm

No. I don't. What I want to do is ensure that Shihoun Constructions still has a half decent architect on the team, without the potential issue of having to deal with a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Aimed at the company president.

And blue hair? Really? I have certain standards I insist on in the people I work with:

They must have two thoughts to rub together

They must be aware that rubbing those two thoughts together won't make a third

Given that this guy literally walked through the door, leered at me, told me, and I quote, "that I dig naughty secretaries", and tried to angle himself so he was peering down my shirt while I gave him directions, I think that's a no in his case. Ugh. So he's with Kisuke? I can't fire him? Or, for that matter, strangle him?

Also, Yoruichi, just how big a team are we talking about here? We do have a budget to stick to, in case you'd forgotten.

P.S. What kind of fight are we talking about? Pillow fight? Otherwise, I call buuuuullshit.

Subject: Someone's got an admirer

3/10/10 1:18pm

Awwww, shucks Bee. I think he likes you. You have to admit, they're a good-looking pair, but I'll let you have blue hair since he's already shown an interest.

I'm nice that way.

And no, you can't fire him or kill him. We have to keep this one.

There are four of them – Kisuke, Blue Hair, a cute redhead (bit too young for us, though) and the woman who threw her shoe at Shinji when they first arrived. Of course, given that it was Shinji, I expect she was kinda justified. He'll have that effect on people. And yes, I am perfectly aware we have a budget, however the Kuchikis wanted this team especially. If they're willing to fork out the cash, I have no problem with it.

It helps that Bya-bo seems to have hired very pretty people. He always did have impeccable taste. After all, he's still friends with me.

P.S. Of course you're coming out. We'll find me a man to help me not consider seducing Kisuke Urahara, and we'll find you a man to help you…

Well, let's just focus on finding a man who can handle you. Or a good shrink.

Subject: Milady's generosity

3/10/10 1:21pm

Ugh.

No, just no.

Engineer-boy is all right, but too nerdy looking for my tastes – much more up your alley (please don't turn that into innuendo). As for the other, only if I get to receive a frontal lobotomy first - he didn't strike me as a scintillating conversational partner. And I don't do jailbait ginger, before you even start. I do not need you messing with my love life.

And for the last time, if you set me up with a woman I will end you. As I explained to the entire freaking company when those rumours went around about us, I like _men_.

P.S. I do not need to be handled, even by a shrink. And fine, I'll go. We're finishing early, though.

Subject: Judge much?

3/10/10 1:25pm

I can't mess with something that doesn't exist, right? I guess that makes your love life safe.

Seriously, Bee, you need to get some. Maybe this guy is the answer to all those prayers you won't admit to saying every night.

He mightn't be so bad, really shitty first impression aside. I did a quick flick through of his file. The name's Grimmjow Jeagerjacques (there has GOT to be a story there), and he's the relatively sensible architect to Kisuke's deranged creative. Kisuke claimed he was essential.

And Kisuke's a smart guy.

P.S. It's a deal then.

P.P.S. I take that, when you say we finish early, you don't mean early the next day?

Subject: The nature of intelligence

3/10/10 1:29pm

I'll grant that Kisuke Urahara knows architecture – Kami knows, the awards he's picked up are proof of that. I refuse, however, to make conclusions about his intelligence based on your opinion that, I remind you, was formed during a half hour interview where you spent more time ogling than questioning.

And figures. Architects are always the arrogant ones. Put forward a theory like that again, and you'll be the one who'd better start praying.

P.S. No. No, I do not. Not that I think my objection will be noted.

Subject: Unfair!

3/10/10 1:35pm

C'mon Bee, the guy is my type to a T. I'm allowed to ogle. Speaking of which, I'm about to head out to your office to suggest a late lunch and –

Dammit, you've been chatting on your blackberry on the way up. It's you at my door now, isn't it? Anything to stop me getting to gaze longingly. Hang on; I'll buzz you in.

P.S. That's the spirit.

Subject: Damn straight.

3/10/10 1:36pm

Got it in one. And I brought lunch.

Love,

Bee.

xXx

As Soi Fon's heels tapped across the hardwood floor, she slipped the Blackberry into her pocket and held up a brown paper bag. Raising an eyebrow at the woman behind the desk, she simply queried, "Burrito?"

From her perch on the over-large armchair that dominated the back of the room, Yoruichi Shihoun groaned, clutching her stomach.

"I haven't eaten since dinner last night", the exotic-looking woman explained. "I just thought you should know, you have never looked more beautiful to me than you do now."

Soi Fon snorted, dragging up an office chair to sit across from her best friend and boss. "You say that to me whenever I bring you food. Especially when you're hung over. In fact, the last time you called me 'the goddess of the golden arches'."

"Huh." Yoruichi frowned as she fished a burrito out of the bag. "I don't remember that."

"No", Soi Fon replied witheringly, "which is why I want to take it easy this weekend. No matter how much I may need the drink."

Through a mouthful of food, the older woman murmured, "Sowaessssachok?"

Soi Fon blinked, before muttering, "You know, if you'd told me that a company vice-president's duties involved watching you eat like that, I think I would have passed on the job."

She was rewarded with a rather disgusting grin, and the statement, "Oooo wuv mwyeee."

Rolling her eyes, Soi Fon threw her boss some napkins and grumbled to herself, "Kami knows why." To Yoruichi, she added, "Chew, swallow and then try again."

For once, she complied. "So, he's a jerk."

"Of the highest order", Soi Fon growled. "And he's sitting right across from me, being infuriating the whole damn time, and I can see the whole thing because you insisted on glass cubicles!"

"Ok, firstly, you insisted, remember? You wanted to cut down on office hanky-panky." Yoruichi grinned. "Whereas I'm all for the hanky and the panky. Secondly, how is he infuriating?"

Soi Fon considered this. "You know that story parents tell kids? The old 'if you keep poking that face, then when the wind changes you'll be stuck with it forever'?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, Jeagerjacques must have spent his childhood with a half smirk, half leer, because it seems to be the only expression he has, and I just want to rip it off his face and beat him to death with it!"

Yoruichi observed her friend closely, noting the flaring nostrils, the sparking black eyes and the clenching and unclenching of fists. "Hmmm."

Soi Fon's gaze snapped back to her companion and her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi feigned innocence.

Soi Fon glared. "That wasn't just a 'hmmm', there was meaning behind it."

Wide-eyed and carefully nonchalant, Yoruichi simply stated, "You simply sound somewhat… frustrated."

Soi Fon groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "Not again. Please, don't start telling me I need to get laid. I'm getting really sick of that speech."

With a snort, Yoruichi replied, "Ok, I won't tell you. But from now on, whenever I think it, I'm going to have this expression, just so you know what I mean." She screwed up her face in a manner that was probably supposed to convey penetrating insight, and instead indicated that she should see a local doctor shortly. Soi Fon evidently thought the latter more probable.

"So you're going to think about my non-existent sex life whenever you're constipated? Classy."

She narrowly dodged the empty can of energy drink as it sailed past, frowning as she spotted it. "Yoruichi, I thought we had you weaned off those things."

"But this one has no sugar! It's much better for me." The company president nodded sagely.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes. "Sure, in the same sense that your appalling fast food order with a diet drink is better for you than that same order with the usual sugary crap. It's not much of a step in the right direction."

"But Bee, would you deny me my only vice?" Even Yoruichi couldn't keep a straight face, as she and Soi Fon started to chuckle. "Ok, don't answer that." Pulling herself together, the older woman scrutinised her friend. Soi Fon seemed to be in a better mood than she had been when lunch began, but there was still strain evident. "Was he really that much of a jerk?"

Soi Fon sighed. "He's an arrogant ass. I don't work well with arrogant asses, even if their arrogance is partially justified. But if the Kuchikis want the Urahara Group designing the hotel, I'm just going to have to roll with it, aren't I?"

Yoruichi smiled ruefully. "There is that. I'd be happy to change architects over a personality clash, but these guys were requested and, as much as Bya-bo and I get along, I don't think he'd be happy with my if I tried to alter things."

"I'll say", Soi Fon muttered. "That man invented the thousand yard stare."

She received her friend's quick grin in response. "I won't argue with that, but just remember, he's had a rough couple of years. He's a widower, after all, and his family… Let's just say that he's the most openly affectionate out of all of them."

Soi Fon shuddered. "That is a terrifying thought", she replied as she frowned, "but I liked his sister. She actually seemed to have personality."

"Rukia's adopted", Yoruichi pointed out. "She escaped the Kuchiki craziness."

"Lucky her."

"Anyway Bee", Yoruichi added, "We've strayed from the main point – Jeagerjacques."

"Yeah", Soi Fon muttered, "we did, and I enjoyed straying immensely."

Shaking her finger, her friend returned, "Uh uh, I don't think so. So, he thought you were a secretary and was a bit of an ass accordingly. What I don't get was why you gave him directions to his office so calmly." Yoruichi gave her a curious look. "At least, your email didn't mention any kind of response…"

Soi Fon had the grace to look sheepish. "Well, I wouldn't perhaps describe my manner as calm."

Yoruichi started to grin. "What did you do?"

"Well", Soi Fon started hesitantly, "I said I gave him directions. I didn't say they were to his office…"

Her boss' raised eyebrow and twitching lips were indication enough to continue.

"I flipped him off, and, uh, 'directed' him to sit on it and swivel. He just grinned more and said 'Kinky', which was when I noticed he was staring down my shirt." Soi Fon scowled. "Stupid bastard was tall enough to stand over me."

Yoruichi was now shaking with suppressed laughter, and motioned with her hand for Soi Fon to continue.

"Well, when I saw what he was doing, I grabbed the paperweight and it sort of left my hand…"

Yoruichi gave up on pretending not to laugh. Chuckling to herself, she managed to gasp out, "You threw a paperweight at his head?"

Soi Fon's scowl deepened. "No. At his crotch."

As Yoruichi burst into uncontrollable laughter, her friend spat out, "It's not funny! You know the worst part? The lousy freaken jerk dodged it! And now he sits in the cubicle across the hall leering at me! I swear if this project doesn't wrap up soon, I'll have committed a homicide."

Through her giggles, Yoruichi finally responded. "Oh Bee, it's moments like this that I am so glad I hired you."

"Fan-fucking-tabulous", Soi Fon muttered darkly. "Can I get that statement on a reference? I think I'd like to work somewhere less insane."

As she wiped away tears of laughter, Yoruichi shook her head. "No you wouldn't. You'd be bored in seconds."

That might have been true, but Soi Fon had no intention of admitting it. "Look, can we talk about something else?"

"Such as the very attractive head architect and why you won't let me at him?" Yoruichi suggested. "Why yes, yes we can."

"Ugh." Soi Fon shook her head. "It isn't that I don't like him, or that I even disapprove of your office romances. You actually conduct them fairly professionally, which would probably make them the only thing you extend that courtesy to. It's just that this project is huge. We can't afford to get distracted and we certainly can't distract the rest of the team too. This is the biggest thing we've ever done and we want it to go well. After all, what's the unofficial mission statement of Shihoun Constructions?"

Yoruichi smiled wryly. "Our aim is to rub my success in the noses of all Shihouns who said I couldn't run this thing."

"Precisely." Soi Fon grinned. "I can't think of a better way to do that than do a kickass job on this and maybe even score ourselves more contracts with the Kuchikis."

The other woman nodded. "Amen to that. Ah Bee, you're always the voice of reason."

"And _that_ is why you hired me."

"Touché." Yoruichi nodded, even as her expression turned wistful. "All right, I'll keep my hands off. I make no guarantees for eyes, though. Kisuke is very pretty."

Soi Fon tried not to roll her eyes, with mixed results. "He's ok. If you like blondes."

Yoruichi's smile turned devilish. "Grimmjow's not too bad either."

"Who? Wait, Jeagerjacques?" She shuddered. "You have got to be kidding me."

Yoruichi shrugged. "He's good-looking, in a devil-may-care kind of way. You have eyes, you can't tell me you didn't notice it."

Now that she had to think about it, Soi Fon supposed that her antagonist wasn't entirely hideous. Sure, he'd been obnoxiously tall, but he'd also filled out his business attire in a way that wasn't exactly unattractive. His features had been sharp and very masculine, and his smirk would quite possibly have won over a lesser woman. She supposed that she could admit he was attractive, if you liked that sort of look.

Which she certainly didn't now.

"He was fine, I guess."

Yoruichi's grin had widened. "That was some pause there, Bee. Reconsidering the paperweight throw?"

"Not in the slightest", Soi Fon growled out, as her mentor laughed. "Look, Yoruichi, if he is good-looking by some deranged standard, then when is he leering at _me_? I'm no catch."

Yoruichi bit back the reply she knew would be scoffed at. True, Soi Fon wasn't exactly a perfectly traditional beauty, but her pointed chin and high cheekbones, coupled with pale skin and black hair and eyes, gave her an attractively elfin look when she let her hair down. The problem was that she didn't. Soi Fon cultivated an image that was so sharp you could cut yourself on it, from the tailored pinstripe skirt, to the crisp white shirt, its sleeveless design the only concession to the heat. Her hair was pulled back tightly into a braid, her face bare of any makeup and her general demeanour around men terrified most of them. Yoruichi loved her petite protégée but she had to admit, Bee could be forbidding if you didn't know her. She almost had to admire this Jeagerjacques for not bothering to let that side of Soi Fon concern him.

Well, she would have admired him if it hadn't been so obvious that he lacked any sense of self-preservation.

"Ok, I'll let it go. Still, you did at least throw your position as VP around after he started calling you secretary, right?"

Soi Fon blinked. "You know, I didn't actually think of that."

"That's all right", Yoruichi replied, in a tone that was anything but consoling, "you were too busy being dazzled by Grimmjow's good looks."

"Where's a paperweight when you need one?" Soi Fon was less than impressed.

"Drop-ping it", Yoruichi sing-songed. "Well, then how about a chance to call Jeagerjacques in front of the VP to be reprimanded about his behaviour?"

Soi Fon grinned. "That's diabolical. I love it."

"Excellent." Yoruichi grinned. "I'll call Kisuke into the office and have him set it up."

Soi Fon frowned. "You couldn't just email him?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Ah, my young padawan, you have much to learn. See, if I call Kisuke in, I get to watch Kisuke walk away. Mmm-hmmm."

She only just dodged the drink can in time.

xXx

**And so we have the start of my first AU. Like it? Hate it? Let me know, k? Also, belated disclaimer says I don't own Bleach. Excellent - arse covered.**

**Cheers,**

**vicioux.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Bleach is as much mine as Byakuya Kuchiki is. **

**Which makes Bleach, according to this fangirl's imagination, Renji's.**

**Listening to: Tori Amos – 'Raspberry Swirl'.**

Chapter Two

Blinking back the remnants of his hangover from behind his sufficiently dark aviators (purchased especially for mornings like these), Grimmjow Jeagerjacques strolled into his new workplace armed with a coffee that could have woken the dead and the charming grin he proceeded to throw at the receptionist behind the desk. As she tentatively smiled back he followed with a wink, his grin widening as she blushed.

_Now, why couldn't we have one on our floor like that? But noooo – we get the cranky bitch with epic attitude who seems to have it in for me._

_Che. At least she's fun to rile up. _

Chuckling slightly at the memory made him wince, as he punched the correct lift button and slipped inside the doors, trying to recall the events of last night. He'd gone out last night with the team to celebrate their coup – it wasn't everyday that the Kuchikis asked you to provide some input, let alone design an extensive project, and it certainly wasn't everyday that an up and coming firm like Shihoun Constructions gave you office space in their building after your deranged boss accidentally forgot to pay six months worth of rent.

Kisuke was gifted like that.

So they'd celebrated enthusiastically. What had followed was… hazy. He remembered Hiyori demanding they do tequila shots, him regaling them all with his tale of 'the bitch secretary and her paperweight of doom', and hearing Ichigo point out that he probably had deserved it, which was immediately followed by Grimmjow mentally congratulating himself on changing Ichigo's network login behind his back. After that, he'd stumbled home and crashed on his couch rather loudly, according to his crabby roommate this morning. As far as Grimmjow was concerned, Ulquiorra had it coming – he and his girlfriend Nel, Grimmjow's other roommate, had kept Grimmjow awake on more than one occasion, in a manner far more disturbing than drunken stumbling.

Which was why Grimmjow planned for his first decent pay from this job to go toward soundproofing his room.

Still, all of this had served to make Grimmjow spectacularly late for work. This wouldn't be a problem with Kisuke – the creepy pervert was the most laidback boss that Grimmjow had ever worked for, which more than made up for the creepy pervert part of the equation. Hell, most of the team were probably feeling a little under the weather today, so they wouldn't give him too much shit. There was, however, one person on that floor who wasn't so keen on him and would probably not hesitate to snitch on him to the boss, Grimmjow thought to himself, grimacing as he carefully rounded the corner, checking if the coast was clear. All it would take was for 'she-who-wields-very-solid-office-equipment' to spot him and things would be very unpleasant. Worse, with these glass walls he didn't have a hope of getting past her –

Except she wasn't in her office.

Grimmjow let out a sigh of relief he would have refused to admit holding. He might have liked to annoy certain people as a hobby of sorts, but he wasn't up to fending off an irate, screaming receptionist this early. He strode across to his office, and would have made it safely inside, if not for the fact he spotted that her door was slightly ajar.

Curiosity was something of a problem for Grimmjow, to say nothing of the difficulties of resisting temptation. There was a moment of hesitation, before he moved, crossing the hall and entering the bitch-queen's lair.

His first thought was that it was one of the most impersonal offices he'd ever been in. Everything felt far too clean to be a workspace; the laptop was neatly centred on the desk and switched off (much to Grimmjow's disappointment), each pile of paper was neatly stacked and kept in place by a different paperweight, and the only thing in the trash was the shattered remains of the paperweight he'd dodged yesterday. The single thing that indicated this office belonged to someone in particular was a framed photo on the desk. He gave it a cursory glance, only to stop and look it over more closely, his eyes wide.

There were two women in the picture, both of whom he'd seen before. One was the head of the company, Yoruichi Shihoun – a damn good-looking woman if he'd ever seen one – dressed in a very nice little black number and grinning at the camera. However, it was the woman she had her arm around that had made him stop.

Apparently the evil secretary cleaned up just fine.

Ridiculously fine, as it turned out.

It was _her_, in some sort of bronze sheath that hugged curves he could have sworn didn't exist. It ended above the knees, introducing him to a pair of legs that he would be all too happy to become better acquainted with, but it wasn't the dress that had surprised him. His brow furrowed as he studied the picture, his thoughts racing. Between the pale skin, the lengthy waves of dark hair, the sharp black eyes and the triumphant smirk directed at whoever had taken the photo, one thing was clearly conveyed – the evil secretary was _hot._

That is, when she wasn't being the evil secretary.

Grimmjow smirked to himself.

_Huh… That's quite a thought. And with her temper, I bet she'd be a wildcat in –_

A door shutting somewhere further down the corridor snapped him out of this train of thought.

_Shit. Can't stay here – I'm still way too hung over to deal with banshee screams. Still, I can't let the paperweight incident go unpunished. Perhaps…_

Surveying the various samples on offer, he finally decided on the glass one of a black cat with a little bee on its nose, which, for reasons no one could explain to him, was the company logo. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he glanced at the memo it was sitting on, taking in the recipient's name.

_Excellent. A hostage. This should be interesting…Soi Fon_.

He sauntered casually out of the room with his prize, blissfully unaware of how the rest of his day was going to go.

xXx

Kisuke Urahara was a smart guy, under the right circumstances.

Women, however, had never been his forte. A typical Kisuke-female interaction usually involved him getting slapped, kicked or, on one memorable occasion, sprayed with mace. Between his wandering eyes and his habit of complimenting people outrageously and inappropriately, he didn't seem to do too well in the romance stakes.

So it was a pleasant surprise to find that his new boss had yet to do any of the above. She'd rolled her eyes at his initial address of 'goddess' and had simply pointed out with a grin that if she was his deity, he'd be doing the job for free out of respect.

He liked her instantly.

Which was probably not a good thing. The team needed work and hitting on the president of the company they were working for was probably the last thing he should be doing. It didn't help, though, that Yoruichi Shihoun entirely deserved the title 'goddess'. She was compact but curvy, with a catlike grace and sharp intelligence in her amber eyes, and a sense of humour that had Kisuke smirking to himself within minutes.

Life, Kisuke mused, was sometimes chronically unfair.

Still, the presence of Shihoun Constructions vice president kept him sufficiently in check. Soi Fon was glaring him down like he'd just diagnosed her favourite small furry creature with inescapable death and Kisuke almost wouldn't be surprised if he got sprayed with mace for the second time in his life, though at least this time he wouldn't have done anything to deserve it.

Not that he had the first time. His hand had just sort of… slipped.

At least this meeting had gone smoothly. They'd discussed time frames, he'd thrown out some ideas about the overall design concepts, the two women at the table hadn't laughed in his face. All in all, not a bad start. There was, however, one more thing…

"I think that's just about everything sorted", Yoruichi said with a smile, stacking the papers in front of her. "There is, however, a small disciplinary matter regarding one of your - "

Kisuke could have guessed given even less to go on. "Grimmjow? What'd he do now?"

"I'm shocked, Urahara, that you would continue to employ someone who is clearly a liability." Soi Fon's tone was cold with disapproval, and Kisuke fought the urge to try and find something solid to protect himself.

Explanations would have to do. Kisuke shrugged. "Grimmjow can be abrasive when working with new people, but he settles down in time. As much of a liability as he can be, he's also ten times the asset. He just needs to…" Kisuke tried to think of a way to voice the idea that was suitable for the boardroom.

"Install a brain-mouth filter? Develop a sense of self-preservation? Sew his mouth shut?" Her eyes sparkling with mirth, Yoruichi added, "I can come up with more if you need me to."

He grinned back. "Any and all of the above. And, essentially, he needs to grow up a little. Might I ask who is filing the complaint?"

Yoruichi looked at Soi Fon. Soi Fon looked enraged. Kisuke was suddenly torn between chuckling to himself, as several pieces of Grimmjow's tale of 'the bitch secretary and her paperweight of doom' fell into new and alarming places, and feeling very, very sorry for Grimmjow.

He decided he was going to be amused by this instead.

"Well, ladies", he began as he stood up, "I am happy to leave this one in your capable hands. I need to start getting to work on the concept designs to show the Kuchikis, but I'm happy to spare Grimmjow for a while if you wish to speak with him."

"That would be ideal. Send him in to my office", Soi Fon replied, between what sounded like gritted teeth.

"Very well then." He bowed to each of them in turn and, opening his fan with a snap, added, "I do believe that we're going to deal famously together." He left.

Yoruichi leaned forward, resting her head on one hand and staring at the door with a faint smile on her lips. "You know, Bee, I think he seems - "

Soi Fon groaned. "Don't even think about it."

xXx

Grimmjow couldn't help but feel pleased with his new acquisition. The paperweight was solid and, even if the cat and bee theme was a little cutesy for his liking, he found that he didn't mind it. The bee almost reminded him of the evil secretary now that he'd seen the photo – all vibrant stripes hidden behind an annoying buzz and nasty sting.

As he sat back in the superior office chair at his desk (superior only because it was stolen from Ichigo), he toyed with the little cat and bee, considering his trip to into the evil sec – no, _Soi Fon's_ – office. There were one or two things that bothered him.

He could understand a secretary having a picture of the company president snapped at a corporate function. Hell, he could even understand a serious kiss-ass sticking the damn thing in their office to help them feel important. But there was something off about the photo. The two women weren't dressed for a corporate function, they were dressed for a night on the town. Their attitudes in the picture hadn't been those of employee and subordinate, at least, not entirely. No… they'd looked like friends. And what the hell kind of secretary had an office as big as that?

Grimmjow didn't like where his train of thought was going.

_She didn't correct me when I said it, and it'd have been the perfect time to call me on that shit. Hell, she could've really worked me over for what I said._

_Then again, she had a temper – if she'd been that pissed off she mightn't have thought to go that far…_

_And she might just consider bringing it up later to make up for that._

Frowning and tugging on one of his forelocks, Grimmjow stared across at the empty office.

_Ah, hell. I'm probably just paranoid. Evil secretary will be evil secretary, and there ain't a reason yet to think she's -_

His train of thought stopped abruptly as he stared at the paperweight he had just flipped over in his hands. He hadn't spotted the inscription before, etched in silver on the base of the object, and now…

_To Bee,_

_The best friend, drinking buddy and vice president in the business, and the woman who taught me that the rest of the Shihouns could suck it._

_All my love,_

_Top Cat._

Grimmjow blinked hoping that the message would suddenly disappear and the world would go back to making sense. The writing still didn't go away. This certainly put a new spin on things and, as he spotted Kisuke down the hall beckoning him over and grinning mercilessly, one thought prevailed.

_Awww, shit. Now I've done it._

xXx

Soi Fon was in a foul mood by the time her one o'clock appointment arrived – arrogant shit of an architect was not what she felt like dealing with, even if she did have the upper hand this time. Between Yoruichi's longing stares and their new business partner's flirting, she felt ready to smack sense into someone, even if it couldn't be the target of her choice.

And then Grimmjow Jeagerjacques walked in, thus proving that the universe sometimes was kind enough to present a new, equally satisfying target.

It was the shoes that did it. They were battered Converse sneakers that looked as though they'd seen their fair share of festival mud and sticky bar room floors. They were bad enough that Soi Fon was almost grateful that his jeans – equally inappropriate work attire – were at least hole-free. The only two things Soi Fon could appreciate in this outfit were the fact that he wore a collared shirt and the fact that, inappropriate work attire or not, the jeans did look good on him. Coming face to face with him a second time, Soi Fon could at least admit that he was good-looking.

It was a crying shame, therefore, that he coupled that with a tendency to open his mouth and an inability to dress himself properly.

"What the hell are you wearing?" She managed to ground out the question through gritted teeth. It was a tone that usually inspired fear among her subordinates, but all he did was roll his eyes and pull out a chair.

"What? You the fashion police now?"

Soi Fon took several deep breaths and decided that perhaps it would be better to treat Jeagerjacques like the idiot man-child he was. Expecting intelligent dialogue would only be foolish.

"Not at all", she replied, her voice saccharine to match her false smile. "I just felt I should educate you. You see, while I'm sure whatever Mcjob you previously had before miraculously ending up here didn't care if you dressed like that, here at Shihoun Constructions we have this thing called 'standards'." She brought her fingers up to form the quotes, her fake smile fighting not to become a grimace. "Now, admittedly, these 'standards' should have ensured you never set foot through these doors but mistakes are made and, now that you're here, you could at least try to look as though you're employed by a place that doesn't serve fries. Are we clear?"

Grimmjow was clear, all right. This Soi Fon had a temper, and it was quite a thing to behold. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see her eyes spark and flash behind her polite façade and he wanted to see her lose her cool.

He wanted to see the wildcat that photo had hinted at.

"Anyone ever told you that you have an attitude problem?" He drawled, shifting his position in the office chair so that he could drape a leg over the arm.

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't rise to the bait. Apparently she'd had time to regroup since yesterday.

As far as Soi Fon was concerned, this interview was almost done. Jeagerjacques did not improve over prolonged exposure and, if he continued to lounge in his chair in that insolent manner, she was going to smack her briefcase over his head. Given that she suspected that she wouldn't be able to stop once she'd started, it was time to get out.

"Maybe they have", she responded coolly. "But here's the difference between us, Jeagerjacques - "

"Grimmjow."

"Jeagerjacques. I'm the vice-president of the company." She watched for a reaction and was curious when she didn't get one. Apparently he was smart enough to ask around and work out who he'd insulted. Apparently that was also where his intelligence ended. "I'm allowed an attitude problem provided it doesn't interfere with my work. You, on the other hand, are just one of the architects working on this project and you don't have that luxury. You clearly have something of an over-inflated ego, but you're not going to find anyone willing to pander to it here. I suggest that you toe the line while you work with this firm, whether it be in relation to how you present yourself or how you speak to fellow employees, otherwise you'll have myself and my attitude problem to deal with on a regular basis. And Jeagerjacques? It won't be pretty."

Grimmjow sat up, his eyes locked on the woman in front of him. It was time to bring out the big guns. "Please, call me Grimmjow. It's only right that we should be on a first name basis…" He smirked. "Bee."

She jerked as though he'd touched her, her eyes wide and furious. "How in the hell do you know that name?"

"Here's the thing, Bee", he continued, ignoring her entirely. "You're acting like you have the upper hand in the conversation, but I'm the one who has the hostage."

"Clarification is fun", Soi Fon spat back, trying to work out what he was on about. Her mind was racing. Only one person knew that nickname, and Yoruichi wasn't likely to just blurt it out to this moron. Where else could he have found it?

"You see, little Bee - "

"Call me that again and die."

There was that temper coming out again. Grimmjow hadn't had this much fun in the building since changing Ichigo's login. "I felt that you had too much ammunition after I saw all your paperweights, so I decided to solve that problem."

Soi Fon fought back a gasp as she checked over her desk.

_Please, tell me he didn't take the one Yoruichi gave me. Of all the paperweights –_

"It was just my luck", Grimmjow added blithely, "that this particular object had a message on it that helpfully informed me of your real position in the company and your lovely nickname - "

"I swear to Kami-sama", Soi Fon broke in, her voice shaking with rage, "if I don't get it back by this afternoon, I'll - "

"You'll what?" All of the playfulness had vanished from Grimmjow's voice, replaced by a distinct note of challenge. "You can't exactly fire me, I'm with Kisuke. And the Kuchikis want Kisuke, for some bizarre fucken reason. So I'm safe. The paperweight is just insurance against any physical violence you might choose to inflict in future." He grinned. "I don't mind watching you get all worked up, though, so you're welcome to come and lecture me all you want. I'm starting to enjoy these little chats."

And there it was, that moment where she lost control. As she stood up opposite him, her black eyes flashing, Grimmjow wasn't sure whether it was time to stand his ground or run before she came at him from over the desk.

"I am going to make your life a living hell", Soi Fon promised, her tone murderous. "You're just an arrogant little prick who expects the world to bow down and kiss his ass just because he pilfered a bit of office equipment. Well, guess what? The HR department might put up with that sort of shit, but I do not. So help me, I am going to tear your ego to shreds. Now, get the fuck out of my office."

Probably about time to run, Grimmjow noted. Soi Fon was a tigress and, while they were fun to provoke, there was always a point to draw back. He stood up and nodded, walking to the door but, before he could make his exit, he couldn't resist one parting shot.

Halfway out, with his hand on the door as security, Grimmjow added, "I don't actually want you to kiss my ass, Bee. On the other hand, I'm happy to provide you with a list of acceptable alternative places - "

He ducked behind the door as a second paperweight smashed against the door, giving her a cheery wave through the cracked glass before sauntering off. Somehow, he may have just found a new favourite hobby.

From behind her desk Soi Fon took several deep breaths, before she slumped into her chair and groaned.

_Well, that was really professional._

_Dammit. I can't allow him to keep getting the better of me. I need to think._

_I want revenge and I want it now._

She slipped into a reverie, utterly oblivious to the enraged screams of a co-worker regarding a login name changed to 'Strawberry Shortcake' and promises of similarly bloody vengeance.

xXx

**So, that took a ridiculously long time. RL can be a bitch sometimes, but at least I should be able to get some work done over the next week, which should translate into having another chapter up soon. **

**Now, some of you are worried about me abandoning my other Bleach universe, but that is soooo far from happening. I just want to get some other ideas out there, but I plan to have some work on that side of things out soon too. I'm ridiculously busy, so review replies have become a thing of the past, but please don't think this means I don't value your feedback – positive, constructive, flame (usually poorly spelt and giggle-worthy) – so review away.**

**Cheers,**

**vicioux. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If only…**

**Listening to: Queens of the Stone Age – 'Make it Wit' Chu'.**

Chapter Three

Soi Fon arrived at work the next morning still feeling aggravated and, as the day continued, nothing happened to change that for the better.

Jeagerjacques, on the other hand, seemed determined to push her from aggravated to enraged. She could see him across the hall, leering at her and holding up her paperweight in triumph, a constant reminder of why she wanted to rip him limb from limb. For the first time she cursed herself for suggesting they have transparent walls; some people she just didn't want to have to see everyday.

_I need something on this guy. Leverage of some sort – I don't know what. Something that'll give me a chance to get the paperweight back and him as far out of my life as possible…_

_But what?_

Soi Fon had already tried to google him and had gotten nothing new – Grimmjow Jeagerjacques was a talented, if outspoken, architect with an eye for the ladies. She personally hadn't felt that the information she gleaned had mentioned he was an asshat quite as much as she would have written, but it was a start…

And it lead precisely nowhere.

With a groan Soi Fon closed her laptop, determined to go over the hardcopy of her budget, ideally facing far, far away from Jeagerjacques and his smirk. This plan, however, was thwarted.

"Hey, Bee? You got a minute?"

Soi Fon turned around, a wry grin on her face. "For the criminal waste of oxygen and space across the hall? No. For you? Always. What's up?"

Yoruichi grimaced. "Yeah. I heard your meeting yesterday didn't go so well."

Soi Fon exhaled slowly. "You could say that. Who told you?"

Her response was a snort. "Uh, Bee? You weren't exactly keeping your voice down. When I say I heard, I mean _I heard_. As did most of the office."

Soi Fon pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fan-fucking-tabulous."

Drawing up a chair, Yoruichi nodded. "So I gathered. Anyway, what'd he do?"

Soi Fon contemplated telling Yoruichi about the 'hostage', but decided against it. After all, what would happen? Her best friend would sweep in and pull rank to retrieve it, Jeagerjacques would get a warning, and then he'd spend the next decade mocking her for it.

No, this was between her and Jeagerjacques.

And, Kami help her, she was going to come out on top.

She pasted a tired smile on her face and replied, "He was himself. Which was pretty unpalatable."

"Hmmm." Yoruichi frowned, before holding up a file. "He's had another complaint filed against him."

"Surprise, surprise", Soi Fon drawled. "What now?"

Yoruichi cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, he went down to HR and demanded that the manager in charge at the time kiss his ass."

Soi Fon let out a chuckle of disbelief. "Huh. He really is as dumb as I thought, and - "

"Apparently", Yoruichi broke in, "he claims he was referred to there by you for all his, and I quote, 'ass-kissing needs'. Bee, I need to know. Did you say anything that could even remotely be construed that way?"

Soi Fon froze, her mind racing back over their conversation yesterday…

"_You're just an arrogant little prick who expects the world to bow down and kiss his ass just because he pilfered a bit of office equipment. Well, guess what? The HR department might put up with that sort of shit, but I do not."_

"Oh Kami", she breathed.

Yoruichi's eyebrows shot up. "You did?"

"It would have taken a pretty radical reinterpretation of my words to get there, but…" Soi Fon trailed off, her eyes wide. "Please tell me he got Shunsui, who treated it as a joke."

Yoruichi shook her head. Soi Fon winced. "Ok, at least tell me he didn't get Nanao, which would mean we have an enraged and over-protective Shunsui to deal with?"

The expression on Yoruichi's face said it all.

Soi Fon groaned, her head in her hands. "I'm going to need a lawyer."

"Whoa there", her friend began, "it's Shunsui. I'll explain that no personal offence was meant to 'his Nanao-chan' and we'll be mostly done with this. Why - "

"No, not for that", Soi Fon growled. "For the homicide I'm about to commit."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Bee, come on."

"No!" Soi Fon hated that she sounded like a petulant child, but she couldn't seem to help herself. "He's unprofessional, arrogant, obnoxious and – and… stupid!"

Her boss simply raised an eyebrow and pointed out, "You're about two years worth of regression away from calling him a poo-poo head. You know that, right?"

"Oh, fuck off", came Soi Fon's muffled response as she rested her head in her hands once more.

Yoruichi laughed to herself, coming around to perch on the arm of Soi Fon's chair. "Bee, we have to work with him. You know that. Which means you need to get used to him." Her mind ticking away, Yoruichi surveyed the room she stood in. "And Jeagerjacques needs a keeper. Say, Bee? Weren't you telling me last week that you thought this office had far too much space?"

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed as she looked up at her friend. "Please, tell me this isn't going where I think it is."

Yoruichi sighed. "You're my best friend, but I can't let what you said go unpunished, even if it was 'reinterpreted'. I have Jeagerjacques drafting an apology letter to HR… And now I have you supervising Jeagerjacques in this office."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Look, I'll write a letter too. I'll write personalised ones to the entire department, just don't do this."

"Bee, you've got to work with him." Yoruichi's voice was stern, as she added, "Just go for a week in the office together without violence, breakages or fights I can hear from my office upstairs and I'll call it off, but not before then. You're smart enough to know I have to address this quickly. We need this project to go smoothly – you told me that. One working week – what's five days going to do?"

"Remove what sanity I have." Soi Fon glared up at her. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Yoruichi smiled winningly and shook her head

"Fine", Soi Fon spat out, "I'll do it, but I won't like it."

"That's the spirit!" Yoruichi grinned. "I don't know, Bee. I've seen him check you out. I think he likes you."

"He needs to be neutered", Soi Fon muttered darkly.

Laughing to herself, Yoruichi left, calling out, "Have fun!"

Soi Fon allowed herself a brief second to call back, "You owe me!", before letting the horror of what she'd just been shanghaied into hit her fully.

Oh, Kami. There will be blood.

_The real question is, his or mine?_

xXx

This was, Grimmjow had decided, the best day ever.

Not only was he getting an office with a view – and he had made sure Ichigo knew it – but he got to share it with a woman that he now knew was smokin' hot once you got her to let her hair down.

_Which shall be my next challenge. The little bee is somethin' else once you get past the bitch queen exterior, and I plan on gettin' to see it more than once._

Grimmjow honestly wasn't thinking much further than that. Soi Fon was a welcome novelty at his new job, something to keep him interested and out of trouble – at least, out of other trouble. He had a sneaking suspicion that antagonising the woman herself was going to get him into more than enough trouble to keep him going for the time being. Still, she was apparently worth getting to know, if that photo was anything to go by.

It was the photo that he kept coming back to, Grimmjow realised. He was used to good-looking women. Kami only knew, he'd spent a good portion of his life chasing after them and they had all been more than willing to be caught in the end. Soi Fon, he suspected, was very different. Maybe it was the temper. She certainly had one, though it wouldn't have been the first time he'd been involved with someone with hellcat tendencies.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was in the expression she wore in the picture, that look of defiance and triumph that spoke of a core that was all fire.

Either way, he'd seen something he liked in Soi Fon, and he was determined to pursue it. Grimmjow tended to go with his gut in most cases so, while his brain told him that he was probably going to have a good deal more office equipment thrown in his direction, he was going in.

The first step, ideally, would be to enter the office.

Carefully, ready to duck out of the way of any projectiles (he didn't feel as though his hostage was insurance enough against violence for today), Grimmjow strode across the hall, his eyes fixed on the dark-haired figure at her desk in the next room.

Her face was a picture of concentration as she studied the laptop screen before her, one hand going up to brush her bangs from her face. With a frown, she sat forward and began to type, before stopping and worrying her lip with her teeth as she considered what she had written. Grimmjow was tempted to barge in and attempt to save her mouth from further distress – it was a very nice mouth and, if she really needed something to bite, he'd never minded a little pain with his pleasure. Of course, just as he reasoned that those actions would lead to more paperweight throwing, something happened that threw him off his guard.

The Blackberry on the desk buzzed and, as Soi Fon picked it up, she smiled.

Grimmjow had seen plenty of smiles aimed his way over the years – seductive, flirtatious, amused, mysterious. He'd never seen one, though, that had appealed to him quite this much. Soi Fon's face seemed to transform with the expression, which was one part glee, one part amusement and the vaguest hint of mischief, and it stayed transformed as she replied to whatever message she'd received, leaving Grimmjow standing just out of her line of sight and feeling a little as though he'd been sucker punched.

_For fuck's sake. She smiled. Big deal. So she's actually kinda endearing when she does it – who the fuck cares? I'm attracted to her, but I ain't looking for anything permanent, and this is gettin' a little too…_

_Ah, fuck it. Just a surprise, is all. Apparently she can be almost human – who'd have thought?_

_Turns out the little bee is just full of surprises._

_Still doesn't make sense, though, the way she sorta hides herself in plain sight. If I hadn't seen the evidence, I would never have realised she was hot. It's like she hides it with all the boring shit she wears. It's corporate, sure, but corporate if you're twenty years older. It's like she doesn't even realise that she's somethin' worth lookin' at herself._

_And damn, turns out she really is. Once you know it, you keep spotting it._

He was starting to feel more than a little odd standing out in the hall staring at her, so he opened the door without bothering to announce himself by knocking and simply strolled in.

Her smile disappeared very quickly.

Grimmjow Jeagerjacques could ruin any good mood, Soi Fon decided, as she looked up to identify the intruder in her office. Unfortunately, it was now 'their' office, and she could hardly be justified in throwing him out.

_Dammit._

_No, I can play nice… ish. At least I have an excuse to get out fast before I strangle him – that should save me from any scenes for a bit._

She was determined to make this quick and painless. Throwing him a razor of a smile as she stood up, Soi Fon simply stated, "Move things where you like, provided nothing of my own gets touched. I'm going to be out for the next hour. Do you have much equipment?"

Grimmjow shrugged, a smirk starting to emerge. "An office desk, which can go wherever, and the desk I draw designs on, which will need to be in the light by the window. It's the first one that's bothering me, though. I mean, Bee - "

"My name", she ground out, "is Soi Fon. Use it."

" – I'm just kind of torn. You've got this big desk in the centre of the room, but there's still enough space for me to set up shop anywhere around it. I need your help; do I want to work across from you, so I can get the full brunt of those smouldering death stares you cast in my direction that make me go all warm and fuzzy inside, or do I want to work directly behind you, so I can check out the figure you can't quite hide under the drab suits? Really, I just don't know." He walked forward, perching himself on the corner of her desk as he grinned down at her. "It's this sort of thing, Bee, that'll keep me up at night thinking, when I'd much rather be - "

"You can stop there", Soi Fon growled out. "Look, Jeagerjacques, I am so very far from interested it's just not funny, so get any of those ideas out of your head. Put the furniture where you want. Staple it to the roof for all I care – and no, that is not a challenge. Just leave me the hell alone." Stepping around her desk, she headed toward the door only to be blocked by the man who was fast becoming the bane of her existence. "What now?"

"But Bee, I'll be lonely." The mock pout on his face, Soi Fon decided, was even more infuriating than the smirk, and she hadn't thought that was possible. "Can't you stay and have lunch with me?"

Soi Fon uttered a short, mirthless laugh. "I would sooner pluck out my own eyes and cook them on a skewer. Now, we're done here."

With that, she stormed out, brushing past him and filling his nose with the scent of citrus as he stepped back and pondered this latest conversation.

_She's trying to rein in the rage. Well, I like getting reactions out of her and, given that it's the easiest one to inspire with Bee, we're just going to have to change that, aren't we?_

With that in mind, Grimmjow started to plot.

xXx

Soi Fon came back from her lunch date with Yoruichi feeling better about the world. After all, what was a week – a working week at that? Tolerate Jeagerjacques for five days and she'd be blissfully free. She'd already made a start today. True, their conversation hadn't exactly been friendly, but she hadn't lost her temper, nothing had been broken and they'd both walked away from it with nothing but a slightly elevated blood pressure on Soi Fon's end.

She could do this.

She breezed into the office, acknowledging her new guest with a curt nod, before settling herself in her chair and returning to the work she had neglected to go out to lunch. Jeagerjacques in turn ignored her almost entirely in favour of contemplating his furniture arrangement.

_Fine by me. If he wants to screw around playing interior designer all day, that's his look out. He'll be the one in trouble – I'm here to make sure he doesn't bother anyone else, not to stand over his shoulder and ensure he works._

_At least this way he may be out of my hair, even if it is just for a few hours._

_Besides, only three more hours until everyone knocks off. Sure, I'll be staying back, but Jeagerjacques? A guy like him isn't going to spend a second longer in this office unless he has to._

_If he knows what's good for him._

It appeared that Jeagerjacques did, at least, have a vague sense of self-preservation. He kept quiet as Soi Fon worked, and she relaxed, finally able to tell herself that perhaps this week wouldn't be unadulterated torture, when –

Jeagerjacques moved his desk across the wooden floor, unleashing a sound that made nails down a chalkboard pleasant by comparison. The sudden, jarring noise had Soi Fon sitting up in her seat, ready to give him a serve, when she stopped herself.

_No, now I'm just being ridiculous. He needs to move his things into place – noise will be made. I can handle it. It'll only take another – what? Five minutes? Might as well just let it go._

_Even if the sound makes me wince._

This attitude of moral superiority lasted for the next forty-five minutes, by which time Soi Fon was fuming.

He still hadn't finished deciding on a place for his stuff, and had now moved in into just about every conceivable position in the room, each time making that Kami-damned noise. Worse – Soi Fon had caught a glimpse of a grin that briefly emerged on his face as she'd shuddered over the noise (again).

The little fucker was trying to get under her skin.

Well, Soi Fon wasn't about to let him. Summoning her best beatific smile, she stood up.

"Need a hand?" Anyone who knew Soi Fon better would have cringed at the sweet tone, knowing that nothing good would come of it.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, met her smile with one of his own. "Sure, Bee. I'd like to try moving your desk a little, just to see if I can get a little more space."

What the hell? It wasn't like she used that much of her office anyway. "Not a problem. I'll just clear - "

Her desk was already shifting, Jeagerjacques apparently able to move a full desk on his own. Soi Fon had to admit, it was a little impressive, watching the way the muscles moved under his collared shirt. He was wearing those ridiculously fitted jeans again, and the thought briefly crossed Soi Fon's mind that the reason she'd not reprimanded him about them was the fact they looked far too good on him. Sure, he was an obnoxious ass – at least he was a good-looking one.

_I just have to look on the bright side - I've got something to look at._

_For a week._

_In fact, I can think of a bright side to this particular situation already…_

As he struggled with her desk, Soi Fon casually strolled over to his, looking it over to find any paperweight-sized hiding spaces. There was one particular drawer that looked promising, but when she tried it the damned thing seemed to be locked.

A snort behind her served as a reminder to Soi Fon that she had an audience.

"Seriously, you didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you Bee?"

She whirled to find him standing there watching her, a wryly amused smile on his face. Well, she wasn't about to provide him with amusement. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Suit yourself", he replied with a wink. "Anyway, see how you like your new desk placement."

As she sat back down, she had to admit – as annoying as he was, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques knew how to use space. Her new position meant that she got a better look at her office's spectacular view and was still able to see the door. As she settled herself back down to work, a question was put forward.

"So", Grimmjow began, determined to be the essence of casual, "do you have a partner?"

"That", Soi Fon responded tartly, "is none of your business."

"So a 'no', then", he returned with a smirk. "So, what? A gentleman caller?"

She refused to reply to this. It wouldn't end well.

"A friend with benefits? An 'it's complicated'? A boyfriend? An imaginary friend?"

She was not going to rise to the bait.

"C'mon Bee, am I getting close? What about a booty call? Oh, I know – a girlfriend?"

That did it. "Not that it is any of your concern", Soi Fon spat out, "but I like men."

He grinned at her, pulling up a chair to sit across from where she was. "Better and better."

"In your case?" Soi Fon shot back, "Hardly. I said that I liked men, not overgrown boys with egos so large they need doorways widened to accommodate them."

He chuckled. "C'mon Bee, I think you like me deep down."

"Sure – at a depth of around six feet, ideally housed in oak with brass fittings. And don't call me Bee", Soi Fon warned.

"Awww, I'm hurt." Despite Grimmjow's wounded expression, the corner of his lips twitched. "Really. I mean, here I am, just an average guy in an office with a beautiful woman. Is it so wrong that I can't help falling for your charms, Bee?"

Under the desk, Soi Fon's fists clenched. She knew she wasn't exactly a prize, but the bastard didn't need to mock her about it. In the most withering tones she could muster, Soi Fon replied, "Tell you what, Jeagerjacques. If I ever get a frontal lobotomy, you'll be the first person I call – provided they remember to remove whichever part of my brain is responsible for me having standards."

"You get awfully touchy about your love life", Grimmjow observed, noting the tension in the woman opposite.

"Leave it, all right?" Soi Fon wasn't in the mood. If this line of questioning went on, there was no telling –

"Or maybe it's the lack thereof - "

"Just drop it!" Her tone was sharp and venomous as she cut off Grimmjow's musings. Recognising that it might be better if he were standing further away, Grimmjow got up and returned to contemplating his desk and preparing his next move, leaving Soi Fon at hers, trying not to shake with rage.

_He doesn't know about the disasters that have been my relationships, he just took a shot in the dark._

_And it hit._

_Just breathe. Only an hour and a half to go, and it'll be one day._

_I can do this._

She was starting to calm down. It was time. Putting his weight behind it, Grimmjow shoved his desk forward abruptly, the already unbearable noise taking on a higher pitch.

Soi Fon snapped. "That's it! For fuck's sake, just pick a mother fucking position and stick with it! If I hear that Kami-damned noise again, I am going to beat you to death with your own office chair, and dammit, I'm going to enjoy every fucking minute of it!"

Silence reigned.

Not, Soi Fon realised, simply in their office, but across the whole floor. As Soi Fon turned around to look through the glass walls, the stunned and amused faces of her fellow employees greeted her. That wasn't the worst part, though.

The worst part was Yoruichi, standing at her door, her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

_Fuck._

_Something tells me that I'm not going to get to count this as one day._

From behind her, she could hear Grimmjow's faint laughter, as he muttered just within earshot, "Damn Bee, if you'd wanted me in a particular position, all you ever had to do was ask."

Soi Fon closed her eyes.

_Fuck my life._

xXx

**In which Grimm is a little evil. Enjoy.**

**R and R, y'all!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I have a real job, but not Bleach. Guess which one I'd rather?**

**Listening to: The Hives – 'Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones'.**

Chapter Four

Three weeks.

It had been three damn weeks, and Soi Fon was fairly sure she was ready to kill somebody – Jeagerjacques, Yoruichi, herself, an innocent bystander – she just wasn't sure who.

Jeagerjacques was, however, far and away the most likely contender.

He had done everything from rearranging her paperwork so that she'd had to spend the next two days sorting it out, to serenading her in the lunchroom in full view of her colleagues, to changing all of the ink in her pens to a shade of bright blue she now found utterly abhorrent. He'd been so irritating that Soi Fon had even attempted to convince Yoruichi to make the necessary five days cumulative, rather than consecutive, though that had been a failure. Still, Soi Fon had not been reduced to begging her friend and mentor for too much help. This battle of wills was between her and Jeagerjacques alone.

So it was a crying shame that he was winning.

Perhaps it would have helped if Soi Fon had retaliated in kind, but she had made clear from the outset that she refused to indulge in the same kind of immature prank-playing as that would be sinking to _his_ level. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of playing along.

At least, not until she'd thought of a really good prank to pull.

The worst part was, every once in a while, he'd do something so outrageous she almost had to laugh. Not that she gave him the satisfaction of showing him she was amused – no, she made sure she got well away by the time giggles escaped her. But there were other problems with this prolonged exposure to Jeagerjacques.

The more time she spent around him, the more things she found to like about him.

Oh, it was never anything earth-shatteringly major, such as Jeagerjacques proving to be less of an asshat than she thought him, but they were little things that added up and they were enough to give her pause. Like when he'd been guilty enough after the paperwork re-sorting to help her put it back the way it was, or the way he had a habit of whistling songs that she loved. True, she hated the appalling sound of his whistling and it had started more than a few arguments, but it also alerted her to that fact that, as disturbing as it was, she and Jeagerjacques had something in common.

Kami forbid.

The worst part, though, was that the more she saw him, even keeping in mind how much she disliked him, the more attractive Jeagerjacques got. Yoruichi may just have had a point about it being something of a dry spell for Soi Fon, and she was determined to cling to this idea – she didn't like the thought that her saner self might also be attracted to her new and obnoxious office mate. She also liked to blame Grimm – no, Jeagerjacques. It annoyed her no end that occasionally, in the privacy of her own mind, she slipped and called him by his first name. At least, though, she hadn't yet made the mistake of doing it to his face; he would have given her hell over that.

Still, she liked to blame him for this… interest. He had an annoying habit of sprawling in his chair as he worked, all long, strong and ink-stained fingers that left smudges on everything (another bone of contention), including the bridge of his nose when he pushed the glasses he wore when he drew back to their position. Every once in a while he would stretch out his long limbs in a manner that seemed almost cat-like, and served to highlight the fact that he had a _very _good body. His face was a study in concentration as he worked, with a serious expression that Soi Fon found she actually rather liked, though she was fast developing a tolerance for his grin. His work was probably the only thing he took seriously, but he was damn good at it, as Soi Fon saw daily proof. He was a very talented architect, and an equally good sketcher – she had found that out when he started leaving her sketches of them doing very work inappropriate things (yet another reason why they had not yet made five days). And the way mischief would flare in those bright blue eyes…

Soi Fon groaned to herself as she went back to her work, only narrowly avoiding being spotted by the object of her annoyance. Clearly it had been way too long since she'd gotten some, and now she was going mad.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

After all, being attracted to Grimmjow Jeagerjacques was a bad idea. Asshat tendencies aside, the man was good looking and he knew it all too well – what possible interest would he have in her? No, it was by far better for her to keep her distance and, ideally, keep her temper in check enough to get rid of him sometime this week.

Soi Fon dared to dream.

Of course, it was hard to concentrate on dreaming when someone was attempting to sing one of your favourite songs off key, even if they were doing it under their breath.

"I was booooooooooooorn in a crossfire hurricane. Duh duh, du-du-duh, du-du-duh, du-du-duh - "

"No. Just no." Soi Fon had her limits.

Grimmjow looked up from his work, his wire-framed glasses slipping down his nose again. "Huh? What the fuck, Bee? What's wrong with The Rolling Stones?"

With a drawn out sigh, Soi Fon glared at him. "Absolutely nothing, when sung right. And Jeagerjacques? Your voice is so wrong, it tried to make it all the way back around to right again, and still overshot the mark. You can only sing on one note so please, stop. Jagger and Richards never intended this atrocity."

Grimmjow couldn't stop himself from laughing. Apparently the little bee was a Stones fan. Even better. "Awww, but Bee, I've been told I have a lovely singing voice." He batted his eyelids and grinned. "Surely you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings."

Soi Fon rolled her eyes, before replying sweetly, "I'm sure you performed excellently at the psych ward Christmas show, but I suspect that none of your audience were professional critics. Cheer up Jeagerjacques, I'm just trying to help you grow as a person. Kami knows, you need it."

He was still grinning from ear to ear, as he pointed out, "Damn, Bee! You have one hell of a wicked tongue when you're trying to insult a man. Crying shame too – I can think of much better uses for it."

It said a good deal for how far Soi Fon had come in three weeks that she didn't simply pick up her chair, walk over and beat him over the head with it.

Not that she hadn't attempted it once before.

Instead, she simply shot him a withering glare, before adding, "If I do choose to make use of my tongue in such a fashion, it sure as hell won't be on you. Now, are you ready for the 2pm appointment? It's not going to be on my head if you do, but I still don't want to see you fuck up in front of the Kuchikis."

"Sweet of you", Grimmjow responded with a smirk. "Whose head would it be on?"

"Yours", Soi Fon replied bluntly. "And Kisuke's. And then maybe, just maybe I'd get to hire a new architecture team and boot you out of the office."

"But I thought you said you didn't want to see me fuck up?" Grimmjow couldn't help but feel kind of hopeful. Maybe Bee was starting to warm to him… "I think you'd miss me if I left. I knew you liked me!"

Soi Fon snorted. "Hell no. Unfortunately, hiring a new team means setbacks on the project, which mean issues for this firm, which mean headaches for Yoruichi. You off the project might be great for me, but it'd play merry hell with Shihoun Constructions and that's more important."

"Huh." Grimmjow had to admit, he was kind of disappointed. Still, they were actually having something that resembled a conversation, and she hadn't hit him yet. Somehow, that had to be a win. "You really care about her, dontcha?"

"She's my best friend", Soi Fon murmured as she looked through her papers, her mind only half occupied with the conversation. "Of course I do."

"How'd you meet?" Grimmjow was actually curious now. They seemed so different, the two friends, and he had to wonder about what made the little bee tick.

And she was back. Soi Fon didn't know why Jeagerjacques was fishing for information about her, but she was going to do her damnedest to make sure he got nothing. "I'm not here to trade stories, I just want my question answered. Are you ready?"

The rebuff almost stung.

Which was very odd, to say the least. He was just having fun here – who cared if she trusted him with her life story?

Grimmjow shrugged. "Sure, Bee. I'm good."

The words were barely out of his mouth, when she was up, and walking toward the door. "Then I'll see you after lunch in the boardroom. And don't call me Bee!"

She was gone before he could reply, leaving Grimmjow to sit staring after he, confused and more than a little unnerved.

_So, just what the hell is Bee to me?_

_Because that reaction wasn't right._

It was something he was just going to have to consider later, he decided, as he turned his attention to putting the finishing touches on his sketches of the atrium.

xXx

Against all odds, the meeting was going well. The Kuchikis were hard to please at the best of times, but miraculously they seemed to both like what was being presented to them. Both the adopted sister and brother had a keen eye for what worked and what did not, a gift which, judging from the doodling that Soi Fon spotted on both their notes, did not at all extend into their own personal artistic abilities.

It was wrapping up, and Jeagerjacques had yet to do anything stupid or crass. That had to be some kind of record, and Soi Fon was almost ready to relax.

Almost.

"So", Yoruichi said with a grin, "I'll start drawing up a schedule with Renji, our foreman. I'm sure that together we can come up with a timeline for this project that works for everybody."

Rukia Kuchiki looked up, her brow furrowed. "Wait. This Renji, is his surname Abarai?"

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "It is. You know him?"

Her pale face lit up. "We went to school together! We were best friends, but he just dropped off the radar when we graduated. I'd love to see him again. Nii-sama, isn't this great?"

Her brother simply blinked, his expression unchanging as he uttered an abrupt, "Quite."

Soi Fon fought the urge to roll her eyes.

_I mean, sure, the Kuchiki has to maintain a strong front as the head of the company, but is it necessary to ban expressions? If he weren't so damn intense, he'd be the most boring guy in the room._

In her pocket, her Blackberry buzzed. Surreptitiously drawing it out to peek at her message under the table, Soi Fon frowned at a number she didn't recognise, only to fight back a scowl when she realised what she was reading.

**Yo Bee, **the message ran, **can I ask Kuchiki if he regularly gets the pole stuck up his ass cleaned? I mean, I'm just a citizen concerned about hygiene. Oh, and if he does, do you think he sends it out to get done, or does he stick that kinda crap with his servants? The public needs to know, Bee!**

Soi Fon turned her laugh very abruptly into a cough, ignoring the smug grin on the man further down the table. Careful to ensure no one noticed she was less than attentive, Soi Fon typed back her response.

**How in the hell did you get this number?**

The reply she received smacked of a man who was trying not to laugh.

**Uh Bee? Have you seen your business cards? Just because you think I can't read, doesn't make it true.**

He had her there.

**Well, fine. Anyway, you seem awfully interested in Kuchiki's ass, Jeagerjacques. Should I hint to him that you're interested? In fact, this all makes sense now – I'm your beard, aren't I? **

She received a reply much faster than she'd expected.

**Now that's just silly, Bee. You should know that the vision of loveliness that is yourself entranced me from the moment you threw the paperweight. It just goes without saying.**

**Anyway, did you ever think that Kuchiki might be the one interested in me? He was totally checking me out before.**

They were seeing the Kuchikis off now, walking down the hall. Yoruichi was doing all the talking, leaving Soi Fon free to quickly reply.

**You have delusions of attractiveness. All Byakuya Kuchiki was doing was wondering to himself how in the hell you made it through the door, especially with those things on your feet.**

As she'd expected, Grimmjow rose to the bait.

**Bee, these shoes are classics and I won't hear a word said against them.**

**You're not hearing it, Jeagerjacques. You're reading it. Because you can do that, remember? You just assured me it was so, though I personally still have my doubts.**

**Bee, you wound me. **

As Soi Fon rounded the corner and slipped back into her office, leaving Yoruichi and the Kuchikis to continue making small talk, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

**And yet I am unmoved. Whatever, Jeagerjacques.**

xXx

All she'd done was smiled.

Sure, for once it had been because he made her, but that shouldn't have made that much of a freaken difference – Grimmjow was certain of that.

And yet, that small smile had successfully made him feel very off-balance.

So yes, he'd safely ascertained that Bee was cute when she smiled. And yes, he apparently enjoyed making her smile. But it didn't quite fit – he was just having fun here and keeping himself amused at a new job. That was as far as it went.

Right?

xXx

After the mind-fuck of a day he had experienced, Grimmjow just wanted to get home and shoot some zombies.

Unfortunately, the Xbox had already been commandeered by one of his roommates.

With a groan, Grimmjow dumped his bag by the door, giving a quick wave to the figure making a dinner in the kitchen that smelled suspiciously (and deliciously) like a stir-fry, before leaping over the back of the couch and settling himself next to the person who was currently using his controller.

"Neeeeeeeeeeeellllllll", he whined through the grin on his face.

Not missing a beat on screen, the curvy young woman rolled her eyes. "Grimm, I spent my day teaching seven year olds to mime. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make seven year olds shut up for long enough to work on that? I need this to unwind."

Grabbing her beer off the coffee table and taking a swig, Grimmjow attempted another tack. "Co-op mode?"

"Get me a beer to replace that one", she said with a grin, "and you're on."

"Fair enough." He sauntered off to the kitchen, grabbing another two beers from the fridge and successfully stealing some noodles from the wok, only to have Ulquiorra, Nel's partner and his other roommate, smack him over the back of the hand with a spatula when he tried it again.

"Grimmjow, it will be ready in ten. Restrain yourself, or I will." Ulquiorra spoke without rancour, holding the spatula at the ready until Grimmjow left the kitchen.

Draining Nel's beer and handing her a new one, Grimmjow twisted the cap off his, before settling himself down on the couch to frown at the screen, as zombies were dismembered with alarming regularity. As Nel finished the round and saved her progress, she turned to him, a small frown on her pretty face.

"Something's bugging you." It was not a question.

Grimmjow had to admit, Nel was freakishly perceptive when she put her mind to it. Perhaps it would be worth getting her opinion on this…

"Sorta", he replied. "Look, there's this bitch at work…"

Ten minutes later dinner was on the table, Grimmjow had finished explaining things to Nel, and Nel was now grinning at him in a manner that was just damn unsettling as far as he was concerned.

"What's so fucken funny?" He enquired bluntly.

Nel simply continued to smirk across the table at him, as Ulquiorra looked on curiously. "Nothing, Grimm. It's just… Let's simply say that it's a good thing this Soi Fon doesn't have pigtails, otherwise you'd be constantly pulling them."

The implications of what she was saying hit him. "Hell no! You've been hanging around idiot kids too long – that ain't how I work."

"I don't know about that", Ulquiorra drawled. "You have the maturity of a child at best. I suppose it is only fair to judge you by the same standard."

"Fuck off", Grimmjow growled darkly.

Nel decided to salvage things. "Look, even without that, from everything you've told me it does sound like she appeals to you on some level. Even if feelings and relationships aren't your areas of expertise, maybe you should consider the idea. Because Grimm? She sounds good for you. She won't put up with your crap."

"I don't have crap", Grimmjow muttered to himself, his mind working overtime.

_So maybe Bee isn't a complete bitch. She's smart, witty and her insults are fun – she actually has a sense of humour almost as twisted as mine. And she's hot – that we've safely established._

_Shit_.

It was making an alarming amount of sense. Something else also occurred to Grimmjow. "I've kinda fucked things up, haven't I?"

"Just a little", Ulquiorra replied dryly.

"Not irreparably", Nel added. "I mean, it does sound as though she's warming up to you a little, right? It's a start."

This put a new spin on everything. Taking a swig of his beer, Grimmjow considered the next few days.

_Looks like the game has changed._

_This'll be interesting._

xXx

**And so things begin to move forward. I plan for this to be under 50k – which means I'm trying to keep it concise. I also plan to update again sometime soon, but that is in the lap of the gods.**

**R and R, y'all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I am to the Bleach universe what I am to the universe in general: I think it's great and I like to play around in it, but I didn't make it and it sure as hell ain't mine.**

**Listening to: Sia – 'Bring Night' and Bertie Blackman – 'Black Cats'.**

Chapter Six

Soi Fon had been experiencing a suspiciously quiet three days.

Actually, to be fair, she regarded everything to do with Grimmjow Jeagerjacques with the utmost suspicion, so this was hardly new. The current situation, however, was.

Oh, he still had her paperweight, and he certainly couldn't stop himself from being his usual self every once in a while, which did mean that occasionally she was tempted to punch him somewhere tender. On the other hand, for the most part he had been quiet and respectful, keeping out of her hair for the majority of the day and even deliberately helping her on more than one occasion.

It was starting to alarm her.

It also didn't help that she kept catching him staring at her, an odd, speculative look on his face. He kept asking her to refer to him by his first name, and every time she refused he looked almost… well, disappointed.

If anyone had asked Soi Fon a week ago, she would have told them quite frankly that she would quite happily have disappointed Grimm – no, Jeagerjacques – on a regular basis. Now, however, she almost felt bad.

It was just plain wrong.

At least it was Friday. Sure, at least one person in the office would play that obnoxious song as a joke in the course of the day (last week it had been Grimmjow himself), but it also meant that Soi Fon had two days to recharge and sort through her thoughts before being thrown back in an office with Jeagerjacques. Hell, all she had to do was stay calm for another two days and then she could get Yoruichi to boot him out of her office and back to his, having successfully fulfilled her end of the bargain.

Except that wasn't sounding as good as it used to.

Soi Fon hated to admit it, but she might actually miss having a verbal sparring partner, or watching Grimmjow work, or even listening to tuneless renditions of classic rock songs.

Hang on – she'd just thought of him as Grimmjow again, hadn't she?

Perhaps a weekend would provide the sort of sensible distancing she required.

Soi Fon could only hope.

xXx

It was late on Friday afternoon when Grimmjow walked into his office, only to find that the sole occupant was not Bee, but someone rather different.

From her perch on Soi Fon's desk, Yoruichi gave a wry smile. "Hey Grimmjow. Seen Bee anywhere?"

He shrugged. "She needed to check on something with Kenpachi. Some crap about the type of timber they need for the floors – I tuned out and just watched her lecture me about what I'm not allowed to do in the office."

Yoruichi chuckled to herself. "I can imagine. So, what can't you do?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Seriously? A better question is 'what can I do' – and answer is 'fuck all'. I figured I'd just go check on some shit with Kisuke. Anyway, what brings you here?"

The other woman actually looked nervous, of all things. "I have something of a moral dilemma."

Grimmjow sat back in his chair, eyebrows raised. "Shoot."

She bit her lip. "Say that you were attracted to someone at work, in the middle of a very important project. Say that while you tried to ignore it, ignoring it was getting more distracting than the initial distraction. And say you'd kinda promised your best friend you weren't going to let yourself be distracted…"

Grimmjow blinked, taking it all in, before…

"You and Kisuke, huh? You do realise that's going to really upset Bee if you go behind her back, right?"

Yoruichi groaned. "I know, I know, but - " She stopped suddenly, her eyes narrowing. "Since when do you care about Bee, other than to annoy her?"

There was a very awkward pause, as a slow smile spread over the older woman's face. "Like that, is it?"

"Your face is like that", Grimmjow muttered. "Shut up."

"Your comebacks are like that." Yoruichi laughed. "Oh, that's just gold. Well, tell you what – I'll help you out if you help me."

It was an offer worth some serious consideration, but one thing bothered him. "I wasn't kidding. She'll be seriously pissed if she finds out before she gets told properly."

"I'm going to tell her", Yoruichi murmured. "I just want to be sure it's serious enough to warrant that. At this rate, I'm not sure if he's just a chronic flirt or he actually likes me."

Well, that settled it. Grimmjow knew he needed all the help he could get, and if Yoruichi was willing… "I'd say it's both. Kisuke's a fucken pervert, but he's a loyal one. And if I have to hear about how awesome you are every time I step into that part of the building I might as well get something out of it."

She grinned. "Really?"

"He's an over the top kinda guy", Grimmjow pointed out, "but he's a smart one. And I do think he's checking you out for more than your looks."

"Shucks", Yoruichi said with a chuckle, "today just gets better and better."

"How so?" Grimmjow's query was idle, as he peered down the hall, looking for any sign of a certain little bee.

"I managed to wear down Soi Fon and now she's coming out with me tonight", Yoruichi replied, her smile turning wicked. "Better still, if you can get Kisuke to go out on the town too, I'll even tell you where we're going."

Grimmjow attempted to take this news in nonchalantly but, judging from the knowing grin on her face, he wasn't doing that too well. Instead, he settled for stating, "Well, I'll do my best with Kisuke and I'll let you know how it goes before we clock off. Anyway, can you give me a little info on Bee? She's closemouthed, to say the least."

The other woman's scrutiny was sharp, but clearly he passed some kind of test, because she relaxed and told him, "Look, Bee's a tough nut to crack. She's had some really shitty relationships and she tends not to think of herself as much to look at." Yoruichi was tempted to cheer when she saw the incredulous look on Grimmjow's face. Clearly he had at least noticed that much that was positive about Soi Fon. "I know, she's crazy. Still, she's one hell of a woman and you'd be lucky to have her."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed again. "One more thing, though. Fuck with her and you'll have me _and_ the boys down at construction to deal with. Bee's popular around here."

"Duly noted." Grimmjow was tempted to find himself something nice and solid to act as a shield.

Abruptly, Yoruichi stood up and stepped neatly to the door. As she opened it, she called back, "I don't see why things shouldn't go swimmingly, provided we're all sensible about it. Let me know about tonight."

With a little wave, she was off, leaving Grimmjow to try and mentally sort through his wardrobe in preparation for tonight.

xXx

Soi Fon had needed a drink all week, so it was a welcome change of pace for her to be able to sit back in the club and sip on her gin and tonic as she watched Yoruichi and Renji in animated discussion about who had been the more attractive character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"… I'm just saying that Spike has that bad boy edge." Yoruichi grinned. "It's kinda hot."

Renji snorted. "Fuck no. You just like blonds. 'Sides, Angel has all that shit, and he's more mentally stable."

"Tall, dark and brooding is your type, Renji? You're going to love our new clients. Byakuya Kuchiki is all that, with an extra side of brood. The man invented the strong but silent type." Soi Fon smirked, thinking about a previous conversation regarding the same topic. "And I strongly suspect he has a pole up his ass."

"Piss off", Renji muttered without anger. "He's a jerk from the sounds of things, but at least I'll get to see Rukia again. That'll be pretty sweet."

"It's always nice to catch up with friends", Yoruichi murmured, before turning her amber eyes toward Soi Fon. "Speaking of all things friendly, you and Jeagerjacques have actually managed three days. I think he's growing on you." She grinned as Soi Fon's eyes narrowed. "What, Bee? You still think he's pure unadulterated evil?"

"Close enough", Soi Fon replied darkly, before groaning and shaking her head. "All right, he's improved. Slightly. I'm less inclined to kill him now."

"Really?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "I'm starting to think you don't mind him _that_ much. I mean, you were texting up a storm in the meeting yesterday, don't think I didn't notice."

"I just don't like to let him the last word", Soi Fon returned, wondering as she did why she'd actually bothered to maintain the conversation with him. "I don't mind having someone to trade insults with, especially when mine are better."

"And I could have sworn I saw you checking him out."

"He's an attractive asshat", Soi Fon growled. "That much we'd already figured out by ourselves."

Renji started to grin. "This is beginning to sound interesting. You sure you need me to act as a wingman for you two tonight? Because Soi Fon at least seems already a little preoccupied."

"Ugh, you're all as bad as he is", Soi Fon got up. "I'm going to dance, if only to avoid this conversation. Anyone else?"

Both her companions rose to follow her, smiling meaningfully behind her back as they went.

xXx

It hadn't taken a good deal of persuading to convince Kisuke to come out tonight. All Grimmjow had needed to do was hint at the content of his earlier conversation with Yoruichi, and then he had to practically restrain Kisuke from racing out the door still in what he'd worn to work.

An architectural genius, Kisuke Urahara might be, but his social skills left something to be desired.

Actual skill, for a start.

Still, they had safely arrived now and, even if he hadn't managed to successfully talk Kisuke out of wearing a ridiculous hat, he was at the very least slightly more presentable now. Grimmjow himself had stuck with his usual style, and was wearing black jeans and a collared and fitted plaid shirt in shades of green and blue that Nel assured him made his eyes pop (Ulquiorra had also been present during that conversation, but had confined his involvement to rolling his eyes a lot).

All in all, they were ready to go.

They just had to find who they were looking for.

"You're sure she meant it?" This was now the fifth time Kisuke had asked this question, or some variant of it. "Maybe it's all an elaborate ruse."

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow replied, "What? Designed to humiliate you specifically? Who'd bother – you have no shame."

"There's, uh, precedent", Kisuke admitted, actually managing to look slightly ashamed for once.

"I don't want to know", Grimmjow responded decidedly. "Look, they're bound to be here somewhere. It's a big place, let's just take our time."

"Split up?" Kisuke suggested.

"Ordinarily, I'd say no", Grimmjow said with a frown. "On the other hand, since we don't want Bee to know you're here, it's probably for the best. I'll message you if I find them."

With a nod, the two men separated, leaving Grimmjow to weave through the crowd, his bright blue gaze roving across the room. He got one or two appreciative stares as he went, but passed them by, intent on his objective. It was only when he received one from someone rather brawny, tattooed, redheaded and male that he stopped in his tracks, and only then because of the man's two companions, both female, drop dead gorgeous and very familiar.

Only one, however, really caught his eye.

She was wearing red, a cooler shade of the colour that highlighted pale skin and long legs that, for a woman so petite, seemed almost miraculous. The dress was tight fitting without becoming unflattering, the square neckline showing a discreet amount of cleavage, the hem reaching mid-thigh and the lack of sleeves displaying toned arms. The colour matched her dark lipstick, her face devoid of any other makeup, and her dark hair hung loose, waving slightly as it fell in a sheet to the middle of her back. The whole effect was topped off with a very high pair of heels, and yet she moved with the same grace he was used to seeing her display in the office, even when hurling things in his general direction.

It was the look on her face that really captivated him, though, the expression relaxed in a way that it never was while he was around. Soi Fon smiled, whispered into Yoruichi's ear, and proceeded to move her hips in a way that was probably going to haunt Grimmjow's dreams for quite some time, and all he could do was stand there and watch.

And then his brain kicked into gear.

_Dammit._

_Why does Nel always have to be right?_

xXx

Renji was the first to notice him.

"There's someone checking us out", he mentioned with a grin.

Yoruichi was instantly on the alert. "One of yours or one of ours?"

Renji gave her a disgruntled look. "We're at a straight club. It ain't gonna be 'one of mine'."

"That's no guarantee", Yoruichi shot back to Renji as Soi Fon rolled her eyes. "The one time a woman ever hit on me was in a straight club. Odd, that, given how often I accompany you other places."

"Every once in a while, Yoruichi", Soi Fon pointed out, "you make me a little concerned. Just a little. Anyway, Renji? Definitely one of ours?"

Renji gave her a wolfish grin. "Actually, I'd go so far as to say he's yours specifically."

Soi Fon stopped in her tracks. There was one person in particular that she suspected Renji would tease her about and, given how hard she was trying to avoid him, this was not a good sign.

_Please, let them be kidding. Why on earth would Grimmjow be here of all places?_

She caught a glimpse of blue hair out of the corner of her eye, and didn't wait to have her guess confirmed. Shooting a glare at her two companions, she slipped through the crowd, determined to hide in the ladies room and equally determined not to admit to herself that Jeagerjacques had reduced her to hiding in the ladies room.

_Dammit, tonight was supposed to be a chance to get out and far, far away from him. _

_Fuck my life._

She continued to move, sliding sinuously through the hoards of dancers on the floor so as to not disrupt anyone else and draw attention to herself. After all, she wasn't exactly an attention-grabbing figure. Surely she'd be able to out manoeuvre Jeagerjacques in this teeming throng…

Except, Soi Fon realised as she came face to face with the figure standing outside the bathroom, for the part where she couldn't.

"Running away, Bee? I thought you were braver than that."

She just wanted to slap the triumphant smirk off his face, more so because it suited him.

"Why the hell are you here?"

He raised an eyebrow, before replying, "Hi, Grimm! Lovely to see you. Great shoes. What brings you here?"

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed as she spat out, "Hello Jeagerjacques. Words cannot express how it feels to see you. I wouldn't give those shoes to a dog to chew. Now tell me why you're here, or I will buy a drink just to throw in your face."

"Because you don't like me, or because you've secretly always thought it looked fun to do", Grimmjow replied, looking slightly bemused.

"Why can't it be both?" Soi Fon glared at the source of her current annoyance. "I don't suppose I could convince you to leave me alone?"

"But Bee, you're such good company!" He couldn't help but smile; this was just too much fun. "I'll tell you what – if you start calling me by my first name, I'll leave you alone."

That was going to make things far too personal for Soi Fon. It was bad enough that she was thinking of him as Grimmjow in her head, the last thing she wanted was for all of that crap to spill over into real life.

_He's an asshat and let's just leave it at that._

"Not going to happen", Soi Fon replied tartly. "What will happen, however, is that if you continue to annoy me, I will talk to the bouncer and have you thrown out. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Aiming to push past him, she attempted to stalk off, only to trip, falling toward the floor before she could stop herself –

It had been an underhanded move, but he wouldn't have done it if he hadn't been able to catch her.

Which he did.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, he carefully righted Soi Fon, steadying her against him so that her back was pressed against his chest. There was something so provocative about both the pose they were in and the proximity between them, that Grimmjow couldn't help but take things a little further. Leaning forward and using his free hand to push her hair away from her face, Grimmjow whispered into her ear, "Bee, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You want me in a particular position, you only have to ask."

The result was not what he expected.

Sure, Soi Fon's head swivelled around to glare up at him, just as he'd anticipated, her lips parted and ready to give him a serve, also – just as he'd anticipated, but then something happened. Rather than launch into the tirade he had been waiting for, Soi Fon had simply stopped and stared, the look on her face not only a mixture of shock and outrage, but of something else, something far more… primal. Her eyes seemed to darken as they widened, never leaving his, and it was then that Grimmjow realised what was going on.

Somehow, there was something about him that Bee really liked.

He knew the look on her face, if only because he recognised it as the look on his own when he saw her. Bee wanted him. So maybe she didn't want to, he could work on that later. This, however, was a far more enticing prospect. This was Bee, in his arms and not trying to kill him, and he was enjoying every minute. Without paperweights or pointy office equipment at her disposal, Bee was warm, soft skin, an amazing body pulled flush against his and a very inviting pair of lips, just waiting for him to make a move. Given that she hadn't even begun to elbow him, that move was starting to look like less and less of a stupid idea.

Soi Fon was going to kill him.

_At least, as soon as I can stop staring at him. Or as soon as I can bring myself to leave. Shit, he has a great body. It's not fair. It's been too long – I don't want to wrench myself away from something that feels that deliciously firm._

_Dammit._

She couldn't stop staring at him. There was an intensity to his gaze that held her there, and had her wondering if perhaps all of his flirting hadn't simply been mockery.

_Which is ridiculous, right?_

_Uh, right?_

His eyes seemed darker, and there was a certain gravity in his expression that was making her feel decidedly unsettled, even as it drew her in.

_This… isn't like Grimmjow at all._

_Shit. Jeagerjacques. I meant Jeagerjacques._

_At least, I think I did._

It was too hard to think, between him staring at her like that and how alarmingly good it felt to be in his arms. Soi Fon vaguely remembered how she'd gotten there, something about tripping, and she remembered her foot connecting with something very solid…

And intentional.

She could move like the crack of a whip when she wanted to, Grimmjow observed, as she slipped out of his arms and turned to face him shaking with something that wasn't exactly fury, and yet wasn't entirely desire.

"You did that on purpose!"

"It's the shoes, Bee", Grimmjow attempted lamely, "you keep insulting them and they just have a mind of their own, so - "

"Oh please", Soi Fon shot back. "You deliberately tripped me and caught me."

"And enjoyed every second of it", Grimmjow added, his eyes fixed on her as he took a step closer. "And I could've sworn I wasn't the only one."

Her eyes widened. "You – you – " Soi Fon stopped attempting to speak, and instead pointed to Grimmjow. "You wait right there."

Disappearing into the crowd, Soi Fon fumed her way to the bar. At least however, Jeagerjacques would be getting his.

Because he was Jeagerjacques, and that was all he'd ever be.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, was on tenterhooks waiting to see what Bee would dish up next. He didn't have long to wait, as she reappeared shortly, armed with a cocktail.

He grinned when she stopped in front of him. "Bee, I missed - "

His response was a Cosmopolitan to the face. As he sputtered through a face full of liquid, Soi Fon gave him a merciless smile. "Turns out it is as fun as it looks. Try anything like that again, Jeagerjacques, and you'll get another." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

With a grin slowly growing across his face, Grimmjow licked the fruity drink from his lips and called out to her retreating back, "Next time, Bee, could you make it a beer?"

Heading to the bathroom to clean up, one thought did cross his mind.

_It's not going to be easy, but it's sure as hell gonna be interesting…_

xXx

**And I'm back. I lost my voice for a bit, but at least my typing fingers will never desert me! Right, guys?**

**…I'm on a lot of cold and flu meds.**

**R and R, y'all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I'm really not Tite Kubo. Not even slightly.**

**Listening to: Josh Pyke – 'Variations'.**

Chapter Six

When Yoruichi next found Soi Fon, it was Monday morning in the company gym, as the younger woman took out what could only be described as considerable frustration upon a punching bag.

Deciding to approach the matter delicately, Yoruichi cleared her throat and alerted Soi Fon to her presence, since alarming an already irate woman was ranked fairly highly on her list of bad ideas. When her protégé only acknowledged her with a nod and continued to rain blows down on the equipment, she knew this wasn't going to be a fun conversation.

"Sooooo…" Yoruichi trailed off, trying to work out where to start. "You sort of disappeared on Renji and I a couple of nights ago."

"I did", came the terse reply.

It wasn't much to go on, but the older woman was determined to do her best with the material she was given. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No", Soi Fon got out through gritted teeth as she continued her onslaught.

Was it just Yoruichi's imagination, or where the hits to the punching bag now sounding a lot harder? As tentatively as she could, she made one last attempt.

"Are you sure?"

Soi Fon stopped, running a hand through hair pulled back into a messy bun, and attempting to articulate how she felt. "It's – I – He's just an unmitigated bastard! He's an immature jerk who apparently has nothing better to do than amuse himself with making my life hell, which he can do simply by being his usual complete and total asshat self, because apparently that's what being Grimmjow Jeagerjacques is all about, and I HATE HIM!"

She broke off, breathing deeply in an attempt to restore her typical calm, as Yoruichi just stood there and stared, before blinking and muttering dryly, "And we've returned to this. Don't hold back, sweetie, just be honest. Seriously, Bee, I thought you'd started to get along. What'd he do now?"

Remembering, Soi Fon unleashed another powerful kick at the punching bag with a growl, before walking over and sitting on the edge of the gym mat. "He hit on me."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't he sort of do that on a daily basis. Hell, screw daily – hourly. You say something scathing or throw something, I tell you both you're stuck together another day, and that's the end of it. What's different now?"

Taking a swig from her water bottle, Soi Fon stared at the floor for a long pause, before looking up at her best friend. "This time he meant it."

"Huh." Yoruichi sat down next to Soi Fon. "How'd that go?"

"I threw a drink in his face."

Yoruichi snorted. "Oh Bee, you never disappoint. Still, I can't say I'm surprised on his end. I mean, let's be realistic – even if Grimmjow did have some sort of issue with you, he wouldn't keep provoking you into breaking our little agreement. He'd want to be out of that office. The fact that you're still stuck together does kind of say something." She paused, and considered her words. "Of course, the same could be argued for you too. As aggravating as he is, I would have thought you'd be able to stick it out for five days. And yet you keep retaliating…"

She trailed off, raising an eyebrow at Soi Fon, who stared back at her, horror-struck. "Are you telling me that I'm subconsciously keeping him around? Why in the hell would I want to do that?"

The eyebrow stayed raised as Yoruichi's meaning became clear.

"HELL NO!"

"Just consider it, Bee", Yoruichi broke in hurriedly. "Why wouldn't you like the guy? You call him an asshat all the time, but what has he actually done lately that legitimately makes him one? Can you honestly tell me he doesn't have one single redeeming characteristic?"

"He has one", Soi Fon pointed out sharply. "Decent taste in music, and he balances that out with an unfortunate tendency to try and sing when he can't hit more than one note, let alone stay in tune."

"He's not malicious", Yoruichi murmured. "When he was taunting you, it was more like the kid in the playground who knocks over the sand castle of the girl he likes to get her attention. He never did anything to permanently cause you any sort of harm. He just likes to tease you."

Soi Fon couldn't really argue against that. She also couldn't shake the knowledge that Grimmjow had rather more good qualities than she would like to admit. "All right", she began slowly, "he's capable of being nice. He cleans up after his pranks. And at some point he learnt what I like from someone and now he gets me coffee."

"He makes you laugh", Yoruichi added. "Sometimes against your will, but it still happens."

"You like him for me, don't you?" Soi Fon's accusation was clear.

Yoruichi shrugged. "I wouldn't go that far. But I'm all for someone who can make you laugh – you don't do that anywhere near enough as far as I'm concerned. And I think he genuinely likes you. I know your past relationships have sucked, but that doesn't mean you should swear off them altogether."

"I don't like him", Soi Fon uttered mutinously, "he's a jerk."

_A good-looking jerk who's kinda fun to trade insults with and who's actually occasionally quite sweet…_

_And who has been displaying a complete lack of any real jerky behaviour of late…_

"I don't _want_ to like him", she groaned, more to herself than Yoruichi, before turning her gaze to her best friend once more. "Look, even if you have a point about me and relationships - "

"Which I do."

"Whatever. Even so, Grimmjow's not my type." That much, Soi Fon was very sure of.

Mostly.

"Anything you say, Bee", Yoruichi replied. "Say… when did he become Grimmjow?"

Soi Fon froze, mentally running over their conversation before settling on the inevitable conclusion. "I hate you sometimes."

"No you don't", Yoruichi responded with a grin.

"I really do", Soi Fon shot back. "And on that note, I'm going to the office."

"To bask in Grimmjow's presence, no doubt", her friend claimed, nodding sagely.

Shaking her head, Soi Fon walked out, the expressive gesture she was making with her left hand do the talking for her.

xXx

As Yoruichi watched her best friend leave, she bit her lip.

_Oh well, it's no big deal._

_I'll just tell her about Kisuke some time when she's not freaking out._

_Hopefully Grimmjow makes that happen soon._

xXx

Having the office to herself was soothing, Soi Fon decided.

At least, it was supposed to be. And yet, she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't quite the same without a soundtrack of the scribbling of Grimmjow's pencil, the butchering of classic rock songs and the bickering that had slowly become almost good-natured.

Until he'd decided to go and remind her that, not only did she find him attractive, but he seemed to find her so as well.

Seemed, of course, was the operative word. Men who looked as good as Grimm – no, dammit, he was Jeagerjacques and staying that way – men who looked like that didn't pick girls who looked like her. Soi Fon was used to being passed by in favour of Yoruichi, it was a pitfall that went with having a good-looking best friend. Why Jeagerjacques couldn't have just followed the usual trail of events and just left her alone was beyond Soi Fon.

With a groan, she sat back in her chair.

_I don't like him, I'm just aware that he's not always a complete jackass._

_As much as I hate to admit it._

Of course, this train of thought just brought up the real issue at hand – how Soi Fon was going to deal with her first meeting with Grimmjow after that fateful night, the night where he had not only almost kissed her, but she had almost let him…

_Sort of. I mean, surely I'm sensible enough to get how much of a bad idea that is, even if I do find him far too attractive._

_I'll just tell him I don't do relationships – Kami only knows, that's true enough. If he calls me on finding him attractive…_

_Well, I have two options. I can deny it all, or just say that I'm determined to rise above my hormones… which he'll probably take as a challenge. Denial it is, then. So then all I need to do is maintain a courteous and professional demeanour around him in the office._

_Yeah – because that's worked brilliantly so far._

"Coffee for your thoughts?" And there he was, obnoxious as ever. Except, he wasn't. He'd brought her coffee and, even if there was a wry twist to his grin, he wasn't leering or smirking. Hell, he even looked vaguely presentable, except for those appalling shoes.

Soi Fon swallowed her nervousness. "You're proposing a trade?"

His grin widened. "Nah, Bee. You get the coffee anyway. I was just curious."

Grimmjow handed her the cup, which she took gladly, trying not to notice how warm his hand was as her fingers brushed it.

_Courteous and professional. I remember how to do that._

"Well, it's none of your business, so go be curious about something else", Soi Fon muttered.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. He'd expected Bee to verbally attack him when he entered the room and had armed himself with coffee as a precaution – it'd improve her mood, and she was probably less likely to physically attack him if there were boiling hot liquids in play.

Probably.

Well, she was crabby, that much was clear, but she wasn't mentioning their little interlude a few nights ago, which no doubt meant she wanted to pretend it never happened.

Grimmjow wasn't about to let that work. He'd caught a glimpse – hell, more than just a glimpse – of mutual attraction that night, and he was damned if he didn't get her to admit it. Bee had been haunting his thoughts far too often, usually dolled up the way she had been when she'd thrown the drink at him, and it made one thing very clear.

Somewhere along the line, evil secretary of doom had become Bee and, while the other resurfaced every once in a while, Grimmjow liked Bee.

Rather too much for his peace of mind.

He wasn't about to let her know that, though. Bee was clearly skittish about relationships, an attitude Grimmjow could understand perfectly, since he hadn't ever seriously contemplated one before. Still, a reply was clearly in order…

"You're in a mood Bee. Frustration getting to you? I mean, I know I sure as hell went home frustrated - "

It worked like a charm. Her eyes snapped up to meet his, all molten fire, and Grimmjow briefly wondered if it would ever be a good idea to tell Soi Fon just how hot she looked when she was pissed.

And Kami, she was pissed.

In tones that could have frozen an active volcano, Soi Fon shot back, "We are not getting into this - "

"Why not?" Grimmjow casually strolled around the desk and closed the distance between them. "We're young, single, mentally stable and attracted to each other – where's the harm?"

"There are two things wrong with that statement", Soi Fon replied quickly, her mind in a whirl. When had he gotten so close? He was behind her now and she could smell him, a crisp and slightly wild smell that made her think of winter. It didn't help that she liked it. "The first is the idea of you possessing mental stability and the second is the idea that I'm attracted to you. I know that in your profession you need a lot of imagination, Jeagerjacques, but really - "

Too fast for her to react, he'd spun her chair around to face him and planted his hands on her desk on either side, effectively trapping her as he stared her down, something unreadable in his face. "So, you're not attracted to me?"

_Deep breaths. Really, really deep breaths. Kami, I probably should have realised he would make a challenge out of anything._

"Nope", Soi Fon returned, trying not to wince as her attempted nonchalance just left her sounding very much unlike herself.

It was too much to hope that he wouldn't notice. Instead, he took another step forward, making him so close that there was barely a breath of air between their bodies. "Really, Bee? Because the woman I held on Friday night, until her brain kicked into gear, just seemed to melt against me – not that I'm complaining – and you don't strike me as the type to do that for just anyone."

It was definitely too hot in here. She was going to have to check the air conditioning system. It was also getting considerably harder to think as she looked up at him. "I'm not that type. And there was no melting."

"You sure about that?" He leaned in closer.

"Very." Soi Fon didn't sound half as certain as she would have liked to. In her head she knew she ought to give him a swift kick in the balls. The only problem was, she'd have to look down and align her foot first, and it was starting to feel like an impossible task to simply tear her eyes away from his. They seemed to burn brighter as they stared at her, and she had the feeling that she wasn't exactly at her most convincing right now. Still, there was one protest she could make.

"Let me go."

"I'm not touching you", came the reply, the unspoken 'yet' clear to both parties.

Soi Fon swallowed hard. "You know what I mean, Jeagerjacques."

"Can't say that I do." She was driving him insane. The grey business shirt she wore was open just enough for him to see delicately formed collarbones that he desperately wanted to trail fingertips over or, failing that, his tongue. She was breathing like a frightened animal, but there wasn't any trace of fear in her eyes. Nervousness, perhaps, but mostly what he saw was anticipation. Her body was taut with it, he could tell that much without touching her, and the way her lips were parted, just ready to be kissed, was a temptation he could barely stand to resist. On the other hand, he had a point to make.

Carefully leaning in so that his mouth was next to her ear, he simply stated, "And I think you'll find that my name is Grimmjow." He settled back to stare at her once more, registering the myriad of emotions flickering across her face.

It was all too much to deal with. Before she could stop herself, Soi Fon breathed, "Grimmjow."

His reaction was small, but instantaneous. If she'd thought his eyes were burning before, she'd clearly had no idea. He looked as though he was about to eat her alive and, as Soi Fon dizzily concluded, that probably wouldn't be too far from the truth.

_What the hell am I doing? I need to think, and there's no way I can do that here. I'm getting out._

She didn't stop to think. She ducked under his arm, grabbed her laptop off the desk, mumbled something about a meeting and proceeded to get out of that room as fast as she could while still maintaining some dignity.

Grimmjow, meanwhile, was left to contemplate the space where she'd been, blinking as he attempted to reassemble his thoughts.

_Well…_

_Fuck._

xXx

Six hours later, Bee had yet to return and it was almost time to go home. Grimmjow, not being one to give up, had decided to pack it in early and go on a Bee hunt.

It took him a while, but eventually he found her, on the roof of all places. She groaned when she'd spotted him, and started to get up, packing her things, but he ignored that in favour of giving her a hand.

"You know" he began conversationally, "Yoruichi said to tell you this doesn't count as a day, since we're both meant to be in the office."

"Charming." Just Soi Fon's luck. They were back to the beginning of their five day count again, and yet it wasn't depressing her as much as it should have.

Her things safely interred into her bag, Grimmjow stood and watched her as she slid her laptop into its case. "Do I really bother you that much?"

Soi Fon's first instinct was to say something scathing. But he actually sounded surprisingly earnest, and for some reason, the last thing she wanted to do was shoot him down.

_I can't like this guy. I mean, I just refuse to. It's…_

"It's bad timing", she blurted out.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"Look, when Yoruichi first took over, her entire family told her she was going to fail. The firm hadn't been doing well in years, and they honestly thought she was a moron, though how they reconciled that with the fact that she had degrees in law and business is beyond me - " She was babbling, a cooler part of her mind processed. She should probably stop that. "Well, that's how we met. We were doing the same courses and got along really well. She asked me to come give her a hand and we worked our asses off to turn this place around. And we did. But this is a huge contract and neither of us can afford to be distracted and - "

"And I am a distraction", Grimmjow concluded. "So… that's not a no?"

"I – For some reason I can't even begin to fathom… It's not a no." Soi Fon concluded, surprising herself. "It's not a yes, either though. You still annoy the crap out of me sometimes. Think of it as 'I'll consider it when the Kuchiki contract is over'."

He was smiling and, it belatedly occurred to Soi Fon, that she really liked his smile. "Just so long as you realise that I'm still going to try and convince you."

"Oh joy", Soi Fon replied dryly, refusing to notice the butterflies in her stomach.

"Anyway", Grimmjow continued as though she hadn't spoken, "you can't work up here. It looks like it's about to rain. Do you even have an umbrella?"

True to his words, the first few drops began to fall. Soi Fon swore, fumbling with her laptop case.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, began to search through his bag, while murmuring, "Never fear, Grimmjow is here."

"Why does that not fill me with confidence."

Suddenly, it was his turn to swear.

"What happened to 'never fear'?" Soi Fon couldn't help but chuckle. "Left your umbrella at home too?"

"No, I just - " He gave her a quick look. "Just don't say anything, ok?" With that, he whipped the umbrella out of his bag and put it up, keeping them both dry.

Soi Fon, in the meantime, just stared. "Well… it's a very nice umbrella."

"It's Hello fucking Kitty", Grimmjow growled. "And it's fucking pink."

Soi Fon's lips twitched. "So it is. Want to explain?"

"It's my room mate's girlfriend's. He must have swapped them", Grimmjow muttered darkly. "He's fun like that." He gave her an appraising look. "Hey Bee, could you hold the umbrella?"

Jostling her things, she grabbed it with her free hand. "What? Isn't it manly enough to be on the person of the illustrious Grimmjow Jeagerjacques?"

"Well, no, but that isn't quite it." He grinned. "I just wanted to make sure your hands were full."

Before she could ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, he'd leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

She would have expected (not that she'd been thinking about it) that if they kissed, it would be a passionate, no-holds barred affair that would probably lead to mind-blowing, furniture-breaking sex (no, she hadn't thought about it at all). This, however, was different.

This kiss promised something more, something lasting. He tasted like the ridiculously black coffee he insisted on drinking, along with something else, something sweet, and the kiss itself was slow, sensual and drew her in completely until, before she was even fully aware of it, she had shifted and was moulding her mouth to meet his, completely heedless of the rain pouring down around them.

And then, just as she was about to completely lose her head, he pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. All she could do was stare at him.

Grimmjow stepped out from under the umbrella, ignoring the rain as he simply told her, "You can keep the umbrella, Bee. See you tomorrow." With a jaunty wave he strolled off until he was safely out of sight.

Soi Fon, meanwhile, was left holding a Hello Kitty umbrella and staring at the space he had occupied, blinking and trying to get some sort of train of thought back on track.

_Well…_

_Fuck._

xXx

**Well, that took longer than it should have. However, the next couple of chapters should follow on fairly quickly. I do plan for this to be shorter than my usual stories, so we're past the halfway point and heading for very interesting territory.**

**There may be dragons.**

**Anyway, let me know what y'all think – R and R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: *disclaims***

**Listening to: Cat Power – 'Free'.**

Chapter Seven

Soi Fon awoke and sat up the next day very conscious of two things. One was the bright pink Hello Kitty umbrella leaning against her bedroom door. The other was that delightful sensation in the sinuses that usually indicates that a very unpleasant couple of days are about to be had. She didn't know if it had been the wind chill factor and the rain on the roof yesterday, or spending most of the night lying awake and trying not to think about the fact that Grimmjow Jeagerjacques was a very good kisser but, either way, events had transpired and now Soi Fon was left to deal with her second least favourite thing ever.

A cold.

She groaned, flopping back down onto the comfort of her pillows. It was still raining but, as tempting as it sounded to spend the rest of her day in a doona-based cocoon, a cold was only Soi Fon's second least favourite thing ever.

Her least favourite thing ever was missing a day at work.

Soi Fon didn't like to brag, but the reality was that when she didn't come in, something usually went very wrong. Yoruichi was the brilliant partner of this operation, her creativity and innovative ideas driving the company forward. Soi Fon, however, was the woman who worked with the details and kept it moving forward smoothly and, ideally, on something that resembled a track.

Staying home, therefore, was not an option.

As she rolled out of bed and began to get ready, Soi Fon reflected that there were only two problems with this scenario. One was Yoruichi. Her boss and best friend had a very strict 'no working if you're ill' policy, which meant that Soi Fon would need to work out a way to sneak into her office without being spotted. The second was that, while Soi Fon always tried to get to work in these situations, she was not normally anywhere near this enthusiastic. Unintentionally, her gaze strayed to her new umbrella and she fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

_He's distracting enough already. Well, all the more reason to get to work and, hopefully, get a few things finished. Clearly I could use the extra time, since the distraction himself has made it clear he intends to go on as he pleases._

For some very strange reason, that thought didn't bother her as much as it should have. She smiled to herself and grabbed the ridiculous umbrella as she left the room. Her cold be damned – Soi Fon was a woman with a plan. She was going to swing by the chemist, dose herself up on the most powerful cold and flu medication that could be dispensed over the counter, buy herself a very large coffee and then use her extensive knowledge of Yoruichi's schedule to avoid her until the end of the day. She was going to work her behind off, ignore the very attractive man in her office (sort of), go home and crash, and then repeat until the cold went away. It was an excellent plan, she decided.

There was, however, one thing she hadn't counted on…

xXx

Grimmjow had arrived home the previous evening dripping wet, grinning from ear to ear, and announcing that he was in an 'awesome fucking mood'. Ulquiorra had simply rolled his eyes, muttered something about morons who wouldn't use a Hello Kitty umbrella to save themselves a soaking, and then dryly queried as to whether Grimmjow was, in fact, in the mood for awesome fucking, or simply in an awesome mood and unable to complete a sentence without an expletive.

Grimmjow had replied with a crude gesture in lieu of a vocal response, Nel had asked for details, and they had all had celebratory beers after he told his story.

He was still in a pretty great mood when he sailed into work the time day. Despite the celebratory beers he had imbibed, Grimmjow could still almost taste Soi Fon on his tongue, and he could certainly still remember how warm and invitingly soft her lips had been. They were lips that should be kissed, and often – and Grimmjow was more than happy to oblige.

There was just one small problem.

Lousy fucken Kuchiki project – I'm being cock-blocked by a fucken building. Bee won't even consider anything real until it's done. I get not wanting to be distracted, but anything like this is a distraction, and since I'm planning on this one being fairly permanent we both need to figure out how to make this and our jobs work.

_Or course, technically she ain't said yes yet. I really gotta work on that, but where do I even start? Just what the hell does Bee even want from a guy? Maybe I could ask Yoruichi…_

_Ah, fuck it. Either she likes me or she doesn't. I guess I just have to toe the line at work and see if I can push the boundaries every once in a while. Because even if she doesn't want to like me, she's attracted to me. _

_Testing Bee's self-control… Now that could be fun. _

At that point, Grimmjow traipsed into his office, took one look at Bee sitting at her desk, and his good mood vanished.

She looked awful. Oh, she was still the same Bee underneath, and he certainly still thought she was hot, but something was clearly not right. She was even paler than usual, there were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and, despite the fact she was wearing an overcoat that wouldn't have looked out of place on someone in a Siberian winter, she was shivering on a mild autumn day. Her red nose and the box of tissues she clutched were just the icing on the cake.

In two strides he was over at her desk and holding his hand to her forehead, only to wince and draw it away.

"You're burning up", he informed her matter-of-factly.

"It's nothing", Soi Fon rasped, suddenly realising that she may be in trouble. "I took some capsules."

"Well, they ain't working", Grimmjow pointed out bluntly. "Why are you here?"

Grimmjow, Soi Fon decided, was going to be a problem.

Should have tried working on the roof again. Although, that would be colder…

"I work here", Soi Fon pointed out, trying to rein her shivering in.

Grimmjow scrutinised her for a long moment, before shaking his head. "Not today, you don't. Does Yoruichi know you're here like this?"

Was it his imagination, or did Bee suddenly look a little guilty?

Determined not to give in and admit to what was starting to seem like an inescapable defeat, Soi Fon lifted her head to stare directly at her opponent. "I am the Vice President of this company and, while Yoruichi is President, I do not have to present myself to her whenever I get to work for her inspection."

"So, no, then", Grimmjow replied. "Well, you're not staying here."

"I refuse to move from this desk", she ground out through gritted teeth.

Grimmjow leaned closer, determined to press his point home. "Because you don't want to leave, or because you're not sure how far you can walk before you pass out?"

He was infuriating, she decided. He was also very close and felt very warm. Feeling as cold as she did made it very hard not to automatically lean into him, though she was tempted to throw caution to the wind. After all, a part of her mind pointed out, he'd certainly intimated in the past that he'd be happy to warm her up…

_I really am feverish, aren't I?_

_Dammit._

Suddenly, all choice was taken out of her hands, as Grimmjow picked her up bridal-style and walked out of the office, carrying her down the hall. In her faintly delirious state, it took Soi Fon several second to react, before…

"Put me down, you bastard!"

He chuckled, silently, though she could feel the laughter ripple through him. There was something about being very close to Grimmjow that always successfully threw her off balance. She wasn't sure if it was how warm he felt, or the fact she felt with distinct certainty that he wouldn't drop her, or how very firm his body felt against hers –

_And I am dropping that train of thought right now._

_He really needs to put me down._

"I am capable of walking, you know", Soi Fon uttered waspishly.

Grimmjow snorted, and replied as though he were talking to a child, "Bee, if I put you down, you'd try and run back to your office, where you would pass out and possibly even hurt that pretty little head of yours. And that would make me very sad."

She flipped him a gesture and added mutinously, "I hate you."

He chuckled again, just as he walked through her boss' door. "That's the spirit, Bee."

From her desk, Yoruichi looked up and raised an eyebrow at the tableaux she was greeted with.

"As amusing as this is, Bee", the older woman said dryly, "you really should be at home."

"She always do this?" Grimmjow was curious.

From her position in his arms, Soi Fon muttered, "I'm right here, thank you."

"Always", Yoruichi confirmed. "Bee, you're no use to me here. Go home, sleep and I'll let you know if anything major happens."

"Look, the meds will kick in soon", Soi Fon argued, "and I really don't feel - "

She was cut off by a coughing fit that was violent enough to suggest that her lungs were attempting escape up her esophageus. When it subsided, Soi Fon looked up to face her friend, and the expression on the other woman's face was clear.

Soi Fon capitulated. "Fine, I'll go home."

"But I won't be happy."

xXx

The next few hours were a blur to Soi Fon. She vaguely remembered Grimmjow stealing her car keys and driving her home and, if she really concentrated, she could recall making it into her apartment rather fuzzily. Still, she wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten to her bedroom, ended up sans footwear and tucked in to bed. Logically, Grimmjow came into it somewhere, but she was having a little trouble reconciling the man she'd first met to what she was seeing now.

_Then again, _she thought groggily as she sat up, _we both got off on the wrong foot and misjudged each other. In a big way. _

Judging from the way the sun was low in the sky through her window, Soi Fon realised she must have slept away the afternoon. Swiftly she rose and checked her Blackberry, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw a complete lack of messages indicating any crisis at work.

_Huh. I guess miracles can happen._

She felt considerably better, she decided, stretching and taking a physical inventory. Her fever was gone and, even though she didn't feel entirely herself, the act of getting out of bed didn't immediately make her want to crawl back in.

A sudden noise from her kitchen had her jolted out of her contemplation. Her eyes wide, she padded noiselessly over to the first weapon she could find – in this case, a very pink umbrella – and carefully opened her bedroom door. Silently moving down the hall, she held the umbrella at the ready, stopping when she reached the corner, before whirling around into the kitchen –

Only to be greeted with a very dry, "Bee, you can't seriously be about to commit assault with a really girly weapon."

Soi Fon lowered said implement, glaring at her 'intruder'. "Oh, for – what the hell are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Yoruichi doesn't trust you not to try and sneak back in, and I've got nothing pressing to do. So here I am; your babysitter."

"I think I changed my mind about not committing assault", Soi Fon muttered. "Anyway, since when - " She stopped, her eyes going to her kitchen counter. "Did you make me soup?"

"Fuck no", Grimmjow replied emphatically. "I got a friend to make _me_ soup. I'm just sharing because I such a nice guy. Trust me Bee, if I'd made soup, it would count as a biological waste product."

"Charming", Soi Fon remarked, her voice droll as Grimmjow steered her into the living room. "Oh Kami, I knew you'd be the type to eat all of your meals in front of the television."

"I resent that assumption", Grimmjow replied, in tones that suggested she'd done him a terrible injury. "I'm bringing you in here because I have a treat for you." He settled her onto the couch, before handing her a DVD case. "We're going to watch the best Christmas movie ever", he announced triumphantly, as he flopped down beside her, throwing one arm along the back of the couch.

Soi Fon stared at the case for a long moment, before turning back to Grimmjow. Eyebrows raised, she began, "Putting aside the fact that Christmas is several months away, would you care to explain to me how anything Bruce Willis has ever starred in is a Christmas movie?"

"It ain't just anything, Bee", Grimmjow pointed out quickly. "It's Die Hard. And it's set at Christmas. That makes it a Christmas movie."

"Uh huh." Soi Fon's disbelief was clear. "And exactly what Christmas values does this film espouse?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "The usual, I guess. Peace on Earth and goodwill to all mankind with the exception of Eurotrash thieves masquerading as terrorists. Yippy-kay-ay, motherfucker", he added with a grin.

Soi Fon blinked. "Right. Of course. Foolish of me to ask." She looked more closely at the case. "This is part of a box set?"

"Yep. I've got all of them", Grimmjow announced proudly. "The later ones are all right, but nothing quite compares to the original."

"I'll bet", Soi Fon muttered to herself, slipping her Blackberry out of her pocket. Grimmjow's sharp eyes caught the movement. "Uh-uh. I don't think so, Bee. No distractions from the awesome."

"The obvious comebacks aside", she began, "I do actually have to make sure no one has burned the building down since I left."

"They _can_ manage without you", Grimmjow pointed out. "Besides, Kisuke'll help."

"That does nothing to reassure me", Soi Fon replied dryly. "Ugh, nothing. I suppose Yoruichi probably doesn't need much help right now. Everything's pretty much sorted for the ground breaking."

"Huh?"

"Grimmjow, you stun me with your vocabulary", Soi Fon returned with a smirk. "When we break the ground to begin construction, we're having a party. It makes for a great PR exercise."

"Why the hell haven't I heard of this before?" Grimmjow looked cranky. "I love to party."

"Ah…" Soi Fon looked a little guilty. "I may have neglected to send you an invitation. We weren't exactly friendly at the time."

He raised an eyebrow. "And now?"

It wasn't fair of him to ask her questions and look at her like that, with those bright blue eyes smouldering. It made it very difficult to answer coherently. "We're friend-ish. Friendly. I guess." The arm along to back of the couch had slid down, and he was now brushing her shoulder with his fingertips.

"So now I get an invite?" He gave her a lazy smile that did very odd things to her stomach.

Soi Fon gulped. "I might consider sending one. You couldn't wear the shoes, though. Not to a cocktail party."

"No one will be looking at my feet, Bee", he pointed out. "They'll be entranced by the vision you are - " He was cut off by the cushion that hit him square in the face. He simply grinned. "Hey Bee, I think you're feeling better."

"Idiot", she muttered. Soi Fon rolled her eyes, but couldn't quite stop herself from smiling. "You'd also probably have to wear a tie."

"Compromise", Grimmjow shot back. "I'll find different shoes, but skip the tie."

Soi Fon considered it. "I accept. Now, don't we have a Christmas movie to watch."

She was rewarded with a smile that would have stopped the heart of a lesser woman and certainly went a long way toward making hers skip a beat. "Glad you see it my way, Bee."

xXx

Later, as John McClane rode off into the sunset (actually, given he'd been fighting 'terrorists' all night, it was probably sunrise), Grimmjow glanced down at the woman who'd managed to fall asleep with her head in his lap. Soi Fon asleep was a very different woman, one with no barriers, no sharp tongue, and no attitude to keep Grimmjow-types at bay – not that it had worked on him. She looked utterly and bonelessly relaxed, leaving Grimmjow to congratulate himself once again on having the sense to get her out of the building and back home. Some of her colour had returned, and her breathing was even once more, so Grimmjow had no doubt that she'd probably be back tomorrow terrorising him in their office which, frankly, sounded awesome as far as he was concerned.

He'd made some interesting discoveries in the last hour, and his personal favourite was the knowledge that Bee got cuddly in her sleep. She also went to sleep a lot faster if you played with her hair which, he had also discovered, was ridiculously soft. He continued to run his fingers through the dark waves as she slept, his mind working as he did.

_Probably best to give Bee her space after this. Not sure how she'll handle waking up to see me here._

_Still… There's something very appealing about that idea._

Carefully, he shifted and managed to gather her up into his arms, a slow process as he stilled completely whenever she stirred. Eventually, he had her back in her bed where she curled up under the covers as he gazed at her.

_How fucking domestic is this?_

_And, more to the point, how fucking weird is it that I'm actually enjoying it?_

Grimmjow shook his head with a wry grin, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her temple. He packed up his things, wrote Soi Fon a quick note saying that he'd see her tomorrow, and slipped out the door.

_One thing's for sure. Somehow, I'm gonna change Bee's 'not a no' to a yes._

xXx

Back in her bedroom Soi Fon's eyes opened lazily as her lips curved into a smile. Tentatively, her fingers brushed her temple where lips had been pressed mere moments before, as she slipped back into dozing, the smile never leaving her face.

xXx

**After the weekend I've had, I just really needed to write something light-hearted and sweet.**

**Hope y'all liked it. R and R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Oh, I wish. Hell, I'd settle for just owning Grimmjow – homicidal tendencies aside, he'd make for an excellent drinking buddy.**

**Listening to: Sleigh Bells – 'Rill Rill' and 'Infinity Guitars'.**

Chapter Eight

"Hey Ulqui?"

From his perch on the couch, game controller in hand, Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "What now, Grimmjow? Do you want to switch to a game where you actually stand a chance of beating me? I'd happily acquiesce – I'm getting sick of assured victory."

A surprisingly pensive Grimmjow responded with a negative, before registering the tail end of the comment and muttering a simple 'fuck off'. "Anyway", he added darkly, "I still think you cheat. But that ain't it. I just wanted to know, what do you do when you decide you like all that domestic hanging out and shit with a girl?"

Ulquiorra blinked. "Are you ill?"

An easily-dodged cushion thrown in his general direction answered that.

Gathering his wits, Ulquiorra replied slowly, "Well, if you're me, you ask her out, eventually convince her to move in with you and pray that your neanderthal room mate doesn't spoil it all. If you're you… I'd suggest booking two appointments with a shrink. One for you, so we can all work where this sudden change of heart came from, and one for the lady in question, so we can all work out why she's let you within a hundred yards of her."

"You ain't fucken funny, you know that, right?" Grimmjow's dark muttering greeted this pronouncement.

"What did you expect me to say? You've avoided commitment like the plague all your life and even now have spent more time pulling Soi Fon's proverbial pigtails than actually convincing her you're an adult capable of serious thought," Ulquiorra pointed out, just as Grimmjow threw a second cushion at him and missed once more. "On second thoughts, perhaps serious thought is like your aim – you can keep trying and trying, but it's never going to happen."

"Thanks Ulqui, you're a real fucken pal, you know that, right?" Grimmjow's tone simply dripped with sarcasm as Ulquiorra rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Grimmjow, why are you even asking me? As you've pointed out numerous times, I'm a socially inept hermit and it never fails to amaze you that Neliel puts up with me. Why on earth you thought that would translate into 'relationship expert' is beyond me."

"Huh." Grimmjow frowned as he stared down at his own game controller. "I guess you gotta point. But you're kinda also one of the few people I know who can help."

"Just keep doing what you're doing", Ulquiorra murmured. "Clearly she likes you enough not to throw you out of her house when you show up. I'd say that's a positive sign. Take it at her pace."

Grimmjow mulled this over, before shrugging his shoulders and getting up. "Sure, I can do that. Anyway, I'm gonna grab a beer. You want?"

As Ulquiorra nodded, he was left alone to ponder the slightly disturbing fact that Grimmjow was actually beginning to grow up – until the cushion smacked into the back of his head.

"How you like my aim now, bitch?" Grimmjow's voice from the kitchen was triumphant.

_Beginning to grow up – yes, beginning is definitely the operative word here_, Ulquiorra decided as he rubbed the back of his head and plotted revenge.

xXx

As Soi Fon woke up stretched the next day, she couldn't quite stop herself from smiling, but she could at least pretend to herself that it wasn't entirely due to the influence of one Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Mostly.

Sure, he'd shown up everyday at midday while she was sick, armed with the next instalment in the Die Hard franchise, and they'd settled into a pattern in which he brought her food and tried to convert her into a Bruce Willis fan and she put up with his company and mocked his favourite films.

Except, was it really 'putting up with someone' if you found yourself enjoying their company that much?

It turned out that Grimmjow was very good at making her laugh. Far too good, as a matter of fact. As much as Soi Fon had to admit that her opinion of Grimmjow had changed very much for the better, there was still a nagging thought in the back of her mind that pointed out that guys like Grimmjow didn't end up with girls like her. Grimmjow was good-looking, outgoing and armed with a sexy smile that just screamed 'mischief'. Soi Fon knew none of that tallied with her. She'd gone to a lot of trouble to make clear to everyone she knew that she was professional, intelligent and above frivolity and, to a certain extent, that was all true. Except Grimmjow kept bringing out the Soi Fon that she only let exist in front of her closest friends.

_I keep letting him get too close, and that can't be good for me in the long run. I do need to be realistic – as much fun as we have together, we're not 'together' and it just won't happen. Grimmjow will lose interest eventually and if I'm not careful, that'll really hurt me. I should pull back and try to make things professional. I may have agreed to consider things, but I can't really say anything other than no in the end._

_No matter how good yes might be, it's not likely to last long._

Still Soi Fon couldn't help but occasionally let a brief 'what if' cross her mind. And maybe it was a little more than occasionally. For some strange reason, as awesome as briefly throwing caution to the wind and having a fling with Grimmjow sounded, there was something about regularly curling up on the couch and having a snark off with a man who sounded like he purred when he snored that really appealed to her.

_But it's not going to happen. I'm smarter than that._

_I have to be._

All the same, at least she could finally go back into work today and focus on something else. The fact that Grimmjow would be in her office when she got there was really just an added bonus.

xXx

She arrived to find Led Zepplin blaring out of a set of speakers on Grimmjow's desk, and not a good deal of anything that resembled work being done. Shaking her head, a faint smile on her face, she lowered the volume as Grimmjow swivelled around on his chair to face her.

"Bee, please tell me the issue is solely with the volume and not the content. As much as I think you're awesome, that would probably break my heart."

"Relax" Soi Fon replied dryly, "I just want to be able to hear myself think. I can see how that wouldn't bother you, since you're currently focussed on", she looked over his shoulder to glance at his work, "drawing pictures of pterodactyls fighting a giant squid. Is that the artwork going in the lobby? I'm not sure it works with our décor. Anyway, if you need the music at that volume, invest in a pair of decent headphones."

"And miss out on hearing your dulcet tones berating me?" Grimmjow snorted. "As if I'd want to do that. So, you finally felt up to coming back to work."

She rolled her eyes. "I felt up to that two days ago, but _someone_ insisted I stay at home and continue the impromptu Bruce Willis film festival."

"Someone with fucken awesome taste, then", Grimmjow added, nodding sagely. "Fair enough."

"Somehow I suspected you'd see it that way", Soi Fon shot back as she settled herself in her chair. "Anyway, what have I missed?"

She was greeted with a grin that promised a good deal of fun. "Well, Ichigo met the younger Kuchiki and called her a midget before he knew who she was. They had words." His grin widened. "Made our first meeting look like a tea party."

Soi Fon winced. "Shit. How'd that go over with the Kuchiki clan in general?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Well, Himself actually raised a whole eyebrow, which is the most expression I've ever seen in the guy. Renji says he went over to dinner there to catch up with Rukia and it was like conversing with an iceberg – you get nothing outta him. According to him, the guy might be hot, but you'd have to take a flame thrower to him to get a reaction." He pondered this. "Also kinda like the iceberg, now that I think about it."

"Damage control?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Himself is friends with the boss and the little Kuchiki's BFF is Renji, so they're not about to get too shitty with us. Kisuke's told Ichigo that he's basically gagged when they're in meeting together, though. Strawberry really went red when he got told that", he added with a chuckle.

"It really is charming how you take joy in the misfortunes of others", Soi Fon muttered.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Hey, if I don't, who else would appreciate it?"

Ignoring this, Soi Fon pondered what she'd just been told. "Where's Yoruichi in all of this? How's everything been going with plans for the party on Friday?"

He frowned. "She hasn't told you?"

"Haven't seen her", Soi Fon replied. "It's actually starting to worry me. She doesn't update me when I'm sick because it has occasionally made me get up and go into work just to sort things out. But she normally drops by just to check on me, and she hasn't yet. I figured things must really be running her off her feet."

Was it Soi Fon's imagination, or did Grimmjow look slightly uncomfortable when he responded?

"Uh, actually things have gone pretty smoothly. It's pretty much all organised – turns out that every once in a while, Kisuke is helpful. They put their heads together and made a surprisingly good team, so at least that's sorted. I guess if she hasn't been around, then it's something on the construction side of the business. Anyway Bee," he began with a frown, "am I really not allowed to wear the shoes to this shindig?"

"Not even a little", she stated bluntly. "And please don't call it a shindig. It's a cocktail party. Isn't shindig a little too casual?"

"Nah, that's a hootenanny", Grimmjow shot back with certainty.

"That sounds like windows get broken", Soi Fon pointed out.

"Huh. You might have a point there." Grimmjow racked his brains. "Maybe I mean a gathering."

"Whatever it is, it's going to bore me to tears or make me want to punch something", Soi Fon muttered darkly. "Maybe I should let you wear the shoes. At least watching you get thrown out would provide some entertainment."

"Bee, you say the sweetest things", Grimmjow responded dryly, wheeling his chair over so he sat next to her. "Anyway, why does it suck so much for you?"

"It's all ass-kissing and small talk, two of my least favourite things, and topped off with my least favourite thing of all", she growled. "For some reason, just about every one of our rivals will have some representative that attempts to pick me up. They never try Yoruichi, because they know she's out of their league, but me? Apparently they take one look and assume that because I'm the unattractive wallflower I might also be dumb enough to respond to flattery and let something slip out of excitement that someone's noticed me." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

Grimmjow took a good long look at the woman beside him, from her waves of hair like black silk, to her winter-pale skin, her fiery black eyes and her petite but gorgeous figure and blinked. "Bee, somehow, I don't think that's the reason they bother."

She glared at him. "I can assure you, it's happened."

He shook his head. "Once, sure. Maybe even twice – in the current financial climate, everyone's a bit desperate. But all those guys? Bee, they're hitting on you because you're seriously fucken hot. Hot enough for all those poor bastards to ignore the 'fuck off' aura you probably project, and still subject themselves to a rejection and a tongue-lashing just in case you actually say yes. Hell, I'd do it."

"Don't flatter me Jeagerjacques", Soi Fon replied sharply. "With Yoruichi there? I'm background scenery."

_Don't lie to me. It just hurts._

"I'm ain't flattering you, Bee." Grimmjow was starting to notice a worrying trend. _Bee doesn't really think I'm genuine, does she? She still don't trust me as anything but maybe a friend if I'm lucky. Shit._

"I'm being serious here."

"So am I", Grimmjow returned firmly.

Soi Fon looked away and shook her head. "Yoruichi - "

A hand under her chin forced her to look back up and into his eyes. "Bee, I've seen Yoruichi plenty. I'd still pick you."

It was far too hard to look away. She felt pinned under that gaze, which might have been blue, but felt white-hot and decidedly… honest.

_Don't even start to think it. Self preservation – that's the name of the game. I can't afford to let myself slip now._

_No matter how tempting it seems._

Her eyes were wide, and Grimmjow felt as though he were seeing something he'd never even contemplated before.

_There's insecurity here, and probably some bastard responsible. Much as I'd like to choke the prick who made her think she was anything other than drop dead fucken gorgeous, that ain't the point here._

_Of all the shit I might have associated with Bee, I would never have thought of this. She really something, isn't she? I don't think I could ever get bored of her – there's always something new…_

Carefully, almost delicately, Grimmjow let his fingers slip back, trailing along the line of her jaw, brushing a stray strand or two of hair back behind her ear before settling on the back of her neck, unconsciously drawing closer to her all the while. Soi Fon, in turn, couldn't seem to stop herself from leaning in to him, her eyes still wide and fixed on his, searching for something she couldn't even begin to put a name to…

At least, until her brain kicked back into gear. She pulled back, just as her lips brushed his, and couldn't stop herself from licking her lips as she considered what had very nearly happened. Grimmjow's gaze was drawn to the quick movement, and he fixed Soi Fon with an expression that sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine.

She shook her head. "Not going to happen, Grimm."

Rather than looking disappointed by this, he treated her to a lopsided grin. "A guy can dream. Which I do. You called me Grimm."

Soi Fon blinked. "I – I did? I'm sorry. I didn't notice."

The smile widened. "Don't apologise. You should absolutely feel free to do it more often."

It was far too hard to concentrate on saying something that sounded coherent when he was this close. She moved her chair back, her mind racing. "So, we were talking about…" The pause, during which Grimmjow just sat there smiling at her as though she'd just offered herself up on a platter which, as much as Soi Fon hated to admit it, sounded far too much like a great idea when he looked at her like that, dragging on as she tried to retrace her thoughts. "The party. Yes, that's right. Wear the shoes and die."

"You know Bee", Grimmjow began in a conversational tone that immediately worried Soi Fon, "I think I have an idea for getting those morons to leave you in peace."

"Oh?" Soi Fon mentally cursed herself for not being able to come up with anything intelligent to respond with, or failing that, even any response that contained words.

"Sure", Grimmjow replied. "Bring a date. Now, if you don't have anyone in mind, I might just have a recommendation - "

"No." Soi Fon cut him off before he could go any further. "No, I can't, I – just no."

His facial expression didn't change and his tone was still friendly, but something in his eyes shifted and looked almost… well, hurt.

"You sure you don't even want to think about that, Bee?" Grimmjow needed to get out. He needed to go somewhere where he could punch things with impunity, because something had just occurred to him. But if what he was suspected was true, he was damned if he left this conversation before he knew all of the facts.

She still felt pinned when he looked at her, but now it was as though he was looking right through her. Clearing her throat nervously, Soi Fon replied, "I just don't think it's a good idea, that's all. It's… unprofessional."

"I see." Grimmjow pushed his chair back as he stood up. "Would it get any less unprofessional if we were together?"

"What?" Soi Fon frowned. "I don't follow."

"A workplace relationship is always a little unprofessional on some level", Grimmjow pointed out. "Usually it doesn't matter at all, but in your case… You told me you'd consider starting one. You and me, Bee. And that qualifies as unprofessional. Now I've just watched you shoot something down without a second thought, something just as unprofessional, so I have to wonder – were you ever going to consider us as a couple? Or did you just write it off from the start and give me an answer to shut me up?"

Soi Fon felt numb. Grimmjow's tone was still light, but the look in his eyes – she felt as though she'd just been slapped. "Grimmjow, it's not - "

"Let's make it simple, Soi Fon", Grimmjow growled, his capacity for being civil well and truly exhausted. "We get along really well. We're attracted to one another. I like hanging out with you, and I could've sworn you had fun too. So, even with all of this going for us, at any point were you ever seriously going to say yes?"

She couldn't talk. It felt like she was watching this as a spectator and, she had to admit, as a spectator she felt like smacking herself silly. What the hell had she been doing these last few weeks? She'd been a selfish bitch. All this time she'd been worried about her feelings and making sure she didn't get hurt. But now that the inevitable break was here, it still hurt like hell even if they weren't together, and apparently she'd hurt Grimm into the bargain.

Unfortunately, Grimmjow chose to interpret her silence as all the answer he required. Swearing to himself, he grabbing his bag and stalked out of the room, without even giving Soi Fon a backwards glance.

He didn't even turn around when he heard her call out his name.

xXx

**So, it's been hellish on my end. RL sometimes just… well, it sucks. Sometimes I get asked why I always end my stories happily or, failing that, at least with some sort of hope. Well, the simple answer is that the world provides us with enough depressing endings as it is. I just like to try and balance it out.**

**On the brighter side, things are looking better after everything and I should be posting semi-regularly over the next two weeks – I might even get this finished.**

**Let me know what y'all thought of this bit. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Is anyone actually labouring under the delusion that Bleach is mine? I mean, I would have to have written out over 50 disclaimers by now…**

**Listening to: Radiohead – 'Idioteque' and The Jezabels – 'Hurt Me'.**

Chapter Nine

Ulquiorra stared at the man in front of him who, judging from the way he was beating his head against the solid surface in front of him, was either attempting to give himself brain damage or break their dining room table. He cleared his throat, and tried to initiate conversation once more.

"Allow me to check that I have this clear…"

Grimmjow grunted in response, as he let his head smack onto the table again. Ulquiorra briefly considered intervening, but decided he was enjoying this a little too much.

"So, despite the fact that we had just agreed that Soi Fon was not a woman to be pushed into things, you did… what?"

Grimmjow sat up, glaring at his friend. "We did this already!"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "I'm just trying to ascertain the appropriate level of stupidity to assign to you, and that requires details."

"Why the fuck do I - "

"You let me live here because no one else could put up with you and because I pay most of the rent", Ulquiorra broke in. "Now, what did you do?"

Grimmjow growled and grabbed the rather sizable scotch he'd poured out for himself. "I asked her to go to the party with me."

"And make things public", Ulquiorra finished. "Which would qualify as?"

"Pushing her", Grimmjow mumbled.

"Precisely", Ulquiorra replied, before adding, "And what did you do after she said no?"

Grimmjow took a hefty swig of his drink, before muttering, "I asked her if it was ever going to be a yes where we were concerned."

"And that would be…?"

"Pushing her." Grimmjow's voice was resigned. "So, what the fuck do I do now?"

"Well", Ulquiorra began slowly, "did she answer you?"

Grimmjow shook his head.

Ulquiorra frowned, observing his friend closely. "Was that because she was silent, or because you chose to storm out of the room like a distressed fourteen year old girl?"

Grimmjow's glare answered that question more than sufficiently, before he shook his head, gesturing to the piece of paper sitting on the table in front of them. "Look, I get that I fucked up without you providing blow by blow commentary but, in the mean time, what the fuck do I do about this?"

Both men stared down at the gilt invitation card cordially inviting Grimmjow to the groundbreaking celebration of the Kuchiki project, courtesy of Shihoun Constructions, and pondered.

"Technically", Ulquiorra pointed out, "you probably couldn't make things too much worse. I mean, you've been calling in sick for the last three days, so one could argue that you've given her some distance…"

"Or?" Grimmjow prompted.

"Or you could just be setting yourself up to have another drink thrown in your face", Ulquiorra finished bluntly, before rising from the table. "Anyway, it's entirely up to you."

As he walked off to start dinner, Grimmjow stayed sitting in his place, turning the invitation card over and over with his fingers.

xXx

Soi Fon was not at the top of her game this week, and she had a horrible suspicion she knew why.

Somehow, the argument with Grimmjow on Monday had been the high point of her week which, unfortunately, seemed to be because at least then she'd had Grimmjow's company. She'd gone through the rest of Monday as though she was sleep-walking, her mind barely on the work before her.

Tuesday had been particularly bad. She'd arrived just in time to watch his furniture being carried out of her office and had felt uncomfortably like crying. Instead, she went upstairs to the company gym to beat the crap out of a punching bag, trying not to focus on the fact that it was not Grimmjow, but herself that she felt angry at.

_After all, who have I been kidding? If it hurts this much when our bizarre friendship breaks down, then clearly my heart has already gotten way too involved. _

_And I don't see him as a friend, do I?_

_Not even in the least._

_Kami, I'm an idiot._

Wednesday had just been a dull haze, where Soi Fon had looked up hopefully every time some one entered her office, only to end up mentally berating herself, because it was never Grimmjow who showed up.

Thursday she'd even sunk so low as to casually stroll by his original office. He hadn't been there, but all of his belongings had been, which had occasioned another trip to the gym to beat things and focus on not crying.

Today, though, had been the worst. She'd arrived at work, only to find a certain glass paperweight on her desk. She'd sat down with a dull thud, staring at the last link she had to Grimmjow, the delicately blown cat and bee almost seeming to mock her. It was then that Soi Fon decided that it was time to go talk to Yoruichi.

Which was easier said than done. Yoruichi had been virtually impossible to get a hold of this last week, largely because of the party they were hosting tonight, but Soi Fon figured she was probably one of the only people who could get away with just strolling into the office unannounced, and after the week she'd had, Yoruichi would probably understand…

Except, Soi Fon realised as she pushed open the door, understanding was the last thing on anyone in that room's mind.

Kisuke and Yoruichi sprang apart as though they'd been shocked, but it was all too obvious from Yoruichi's mussed hair and the disarray of their clothes what had been going on seconds before Soi Fon had opened the door.

Soi Fon simply stood there, blinking, before she turned on her heel and walked out, ignoring the sound of Yoruichi's voice frantically calling her name.

There was only one thing to do – it was time to get out.

xXx

Lifting her head from her hands, Yoruichi muttered, "Well, that went brilliantly."

Beside her, Kisuke raised an eyebrow. "You still hadn't told her?"

Yoruichi winced. "It's not like that – I know this is serious. But every time I thought about telling her, I could just see the look on her face when she realised I'd been keeping it from her. I mean, logic dictated that I shouldn't tell her about this and worry her until I knew it was going to last, but by the time I knew that, we'd been together for over a month and it was going to look awful that I'd kept it from her and - GAH! It's all fucked up now, isn't it?"

She sounded almost close to tears, as Kisuke slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. "I doubt it. From everything I've heard, the two of you are like sisters. She won't stay angry at you forever if you explain. Soi Fon just strikes me as the type who needs time to cool off and digest."

"Which would be great", Yoruichi responded, "if she could have that, but we're supposed to both be at the top of the stairs, greeting guests together in about eight hours. How well do you think that's going to go?"

Kisuke blinked. "Huh. That should be… interesting."

xXx

Grimmjow did not do suits.

Still, after a lengthy argument with Nel, he'd managed to find a compromise that even Soi Fon would probably accept.

At least, she might have accepted it before he made a complete ass of himself.

Still, he figured the black slacks and dress shirt were fine, even if he had rolled the sleeves up on the latter. Hell, he was just the architect – who the fuck was going to seriously care how he dressed?

It was with no small amount of trepidation that Grimmjow presented his invitation at the door and walked up the stairs, only to almost come to a complete stop when he saw the two women at the top of the stairs.

Yoruichi looked hot, as always, in something slinky and strapless that matched the amber tone of her eyes, but it wasn't she who caught his attention.

Like him, Bee had gone for all black. The one-shoulder dress skimmed along her curves, highlighting pale skin and a figure perfect enough to be worshipped (certainly, Grimmjow was tempted to start), and her long, dark hair had been curled and pulled back into a loose bun, with a stray curl trailing over her bare shoulder. The stark black and white contrast drew attention to deep red lips, lips that Grimmjow knew first hand could be inviting and pliable…

She looked graceful, elegant, and devastatingly beautiful, to the point where he felt like he couldn't breathe.

But that wasn't the only thing that drew his attention. Bee didn't seem like her typical confident and professional self. Oh, there was nothing obvious to go on, just an air of strain, particularly between the two women.

Grimmjow frowned.

_Shit. Have Yoruichi and Kisuke come clean and fucked it up? Worse, have they just not said anything and she's found out anyway? If that happened…_

_Well, there'd be a hell of a pissed off Bee to deal with._

Carefully, he slipped past the crowd at the top of the stairs. There was no point in confronting Bee. If she wanted to talk, she would come find him and that shouldn't be too hard.

He was fairly sure he was the only guy here with bright blue hair.

xXx

As soon as she could, Soi Fon excused herself from standing next to Yoruichi.

She hadn't said a single word to her best friend since she'd arrived, and she didn't feel like changing that statistic any time soon. She wanted to yell at someone, just to get everything off her chest, but she knew that if she tried that with Yoruichi, they'd just have a massive fight and she'd probably end up saying horrible things she'd end up regretting. What Soi Fon wanted was someone to talk things over with, but unfortunately, Yoruichi was typically the only candidate for that job.

Unless…

Out of the corner of her eye, Soi Fon glimpsed bright blue and, almost instinctively, she turned just in time to catch Grimmjow Jeagerjacques abusing the open bar by ordering a triple scotch.

Without stopping to think about how the last time they had spoken ended, she walked up to him, unable to completely hide the smile that threatened to overwhelm her expression of disapproval. Tapping him on the shoulder, Soi Fon pointed out, "You know, it's people like you who drain the open bar before I can even get a drink."

Grimmjow turned to face her and, if there was a touch of reserve in his voice, there was none in his reply. "Well, that's a crying shame. In the interests of fairness, I suppose I should request a gin and tonic to go with this."

Relief flooded Soi Fon. He was talking to her. It might not have been as unconstrained as she was used to, but it was talking and borderline flirting, and she'd never been more grateful. As he handed her the requested drink, she let herself smile properly. "So, why are you here? I would have thought you allergic to formal occasions."

Grimmjow shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face. "I'm just here for the food."

Soi Fon frowned. "We're not serving any."

He grinned. "I know. You should talk to somebody about that."

She lightly smacked him over the head, an effort that required all of the height her heels gave her and a small jump to close the distance. "Be serious for once."

Sipping his drink, he amended, "Well, then let's say I'm here for the company."

"Oh." Soi Fon glanced around the room. "Who've you been talking to?"

"No one", he replied blithely.

"But - "

"It's more who I'm talking to now", Grimmjow finished, his smile crooked as he waited for her reaction.

As that sunk in, Soi Fon's eyes widened and she was unable to stop herself from breathing a soft, "Oh".

_You know what? Fuck it. Even if this ends up breaking my heart, it already hurts too much to keep him away._

_And at least, for once, I'd be able to do what I wanted and fuck the consequences. Kami only knows, that's what Yoruichi is doing and it seems to be working for her. _

_And I might as well be honest with myself – Grimmjow is what I want._

She wasn't quite reacting the way he'd expected, Grimmjow decided. Which was… promising? Maybe? Perhaps it was time to turn the conversation onto something that he could guess her responses to, because he couldn't even begin to fathom this.

"So, you and Yoruichi?" Grimmjow attempted, nonchalantly.

Soi Fon scowled.

_Well, _Grimmjow mused, _at least that one I expected._

"I think", Soi Fon began witheringly, "you'll find that it's her and Kisuke. I walked in on them…"

"Being unprofessional?", Grimmjow ventured tactfully.

"Precisely", Soi Fon muttered darkly, before her eyes narrowed as she realised something. "You don't seem very surprised."

"I thought about telling you", Grimmjow replied quickly, "but let's be honest, Bee. Who would you have believed? You'd have just assumed I was being a jerk."

She frowned, considering this. "No… I actually don't think I would have."

He blinked. "Oh… right. Well, now I get to feel like a moron."

Soi Fon's lips twitched. "That's a new sensation?"

"Ouch, Bee." Grimmjow paused, trying to decide how to best words this. "Look, I'm sorry for trying to push this on Monday. That was a little out of line."

Soi Fon shook her head. "You had a point. I was just thinking of saying no to save everyone the trouble. This…" She took a deep breath. "I'll be honest, this freaks me out. You're not quite what I expected to be my type."

Running a hand through his hair distractedly, Grimmjow murmured, "Ditto. Though… You _were_ just thinking of saying no? So does that mean that now, you… You're actually considering a different answer?"

Soi Fon took a deep breath.

_No way to know unless I jump, right?_

"No, I'm not considering a different answer", Soi Fon replied softly. "I'm giving you a different answer."

Grimmjow blinked. "Wait – is that?"

Soi Fon smiled and held out her hand. "I think we should probably move this conversation somewhere more private."

Still in something that very closely resembled shock, Grimmjow took her hand and let her lead him through the crowd.

_Well… shit. I'm not about to argue with that._

xXx

They ended up in what Grimmjow resolutely thought of as their office, even if it was technically only hers.

Soi Fon didn't bother with light switches, the lights from the city and surrounding buildings providing more than enough illumination. She was pale enough that Grimmjow decided she seemed to shine in the dark, and he followed her through the door, only to find himself pushed onto her desk as she straddled him, slim arms circling his neck as those red lips descended on his own.

Grimmjow kissed her back, his hands coming up to tangle in her dark hair as his lips moulded to hers, teasing and pulling back after only moments.

"You know, Bee, I thought we were moving the _conversation_ somewhere private."

Soi Fon gave him a slow, seductive smile in return. "This probably qualifies as a form of conversation. Are you really complaining, Grimm?"

"Oh no", he hurriedly pointed out, "just wondering what brought this on."

Raking her nails down the back of his neck and making him shiver, Soi Fon simply stated, "I thought it was about time I decided to be selfish and do what I wanted to do."

"And that would be me?" Grimmjow tried not to hold his breath waiting for the reply, as Soi Fon smiled at him once more.

_Well, that just killed any chance of the blood flowing to my brain._

_Not that I mind._

"That would be you", Soi Fon confirmed, as her fingers deftly dealt with the buttons of his shirt. "Think you can live with that?"

Letting out a shaky breath, Grimmjow bucked his hips, letting Soi Fon fall flush against him, before he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I think I'll cope."

As her lips sought his again, hungrily demanding more as her hands roamed the contours of his chest, Grimmjow decided that thinking was something he'd be putting off for the next few hours.

xXx

**No, of course it doesn't end there. I torture my characters soooo much more than this :p**

**So things in RL are looking up after a month that has been pure, unadulterated demons, which means more posting!**

**There's either one chapter or two to go, depending on how I split things up, and both should be coming out soon, so stay tuned. In the mean time, let me know how you liked this – R and R, y'all!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Bleach would be an altogether different beast if I owned it…**

**So it's probably a good thing I don't.**

**Listening to: Elliott Smith – 'King's Crossing', The Dresden Dolls – 'Jeep Song', and Cold War Kids – 'Hospital Beds'.**

Chapter Ten

Grimmjow tore his lips away from Soi Fon's mouth, only to begin his assault on her neck, first kissing and then scraping his teeth across the pale skin. Soi Fon, in turn, dug her nails further into his back, drawing out a groan from Grimmjow as he shifted to look directly at her.

"At the risk of cutting short what's shaping up to be a run through of every fantasy I've had since I started working here", Grimmjow murmured, "are you sure about this?"

Soi Fon snorted. "Don't get too noble on me. We've been over this – my new rule is 'fuck the consequences'."

Grimmjow treated her to a lopsided smile. "Lucky consequences. I'm jealous."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for – gah!" She clung to Grimmjow as he picked her up and switched their positions, so that she was now the one sitting on the desk. "Was that absolutely necessary?"

Soi Fon fought back a gasp as he knelt before her, picking up one foot and carefully releasing it from the strappy heel that had confined it all night. Her feet were dwarfed by his hands, prompting Grimmjow's lips to twitch into a smirk as he remarked, "Cute."

She scowled as he moved to undo the other shoe. "Cute? That's it? You - "

She was cut off with a gasp as she felt his fingers begin to trail higher, mapping out calves and brushing up her thighs under her dress. Grimmjow chuckled to himself. "Bee, the feet _are_ cute. The rest of you qualifies as more…" He paused, his eyes darkening as he took in her dishevelled appearance on the desk, bathed in moonlight. "Well, I'd describe you as drop dead fucken gorgeous, but that's just me."

Soi Fon let out a shaky breath, struck by the intensity in his eyes. "I can live with that."

Without warning, he pounced. His lips met hers, all the better to drown out her cries and moans as his fingers deftly navigated layers of clothing to slip between her legs. She clung to him as he teased her, drawing out her reactions. Overwhelmed by pleasure, she couldn't think beyond the moment and the sensations being heaped upon her. Soi Fon's mouth broke away from Grimmjow's in favour of raking his earlobe with her teeth, which induced in him a shudder and a powerful desire to dispense with the niceties and simply take her on the desk, but he held himself in check. Grimmjow had a plan, of sorts, and it involved much more than this.

Soi Fon, on the other hand, could feel her peak approaching as she writhed in Grimmjow's arms, his talented fingers slipping inside of her as she cried out his name. She had suspected that those long, strong and capable fingers were probably capable of reducing her to a quivering, begging mass, but she'd had no idea how right she was. She was blind, blind to everything but him and, judging from how he watched her as she threw her head back to cry out his name once more, he was similarly afflicted.

And then, suddenly he was gone. Grimmjow had stepped back and was watching her with eyes that seemed to burn, even in the half-light of the room. Slowly, he brought his fingers up to his lips and sucked the taste of her off them, his gaze making Soi Fon feel as though she were being set alight.

It still wasn't enough.

"Dammit, Grimmjow", Soi Fon gasped out, "get over here and finish what you started."

He shook his head, a grin started to appear on his face. "I will, just not here. Bee, I plan for this to be a _very_ long night, and I don't want to be interrupted. Besides, whatever you might say about you and consequences, I'd rather you had an opportunity to think about it, and this should give you a little time. You have a party to manage, after all."

Soi Fon blinked. Somehow, that had managed to slip her mind.

Reaching past her on the desk and grabbing pen and paper, he hastily scribbled something down, and pressed the message into her hand. "That's the address I'm at. As soon as you get away…" He looked at her once more, before inhaling sharply and pressing his lips to hers fiercely. As quickly as he had initiated the kiss, he pulled away. "Just make it quick, Bee. I'll be waiting."

Without staying for an answer, he slipped out of the room.

xXx

Soi Fon spent the next two hours in a daze, fighting the urge to continue to bring her fingertips up to brush passion-bruised lips.

She'd managed to make herself reasonably presentable after Grimmjow had left, and had gotten her emotions under control to the point where she was able to present a smiling veneer to everyone she spoke to, even if her mind was occupied with just how she was going to pay Grimmjow back for leaving her in that state when she got to his place.

She was thinking ropes, and a good deal of sexual torture.

She was thinking about it a lot, actually.

When the time had come that she could safely leave, she'd all but run to a cab, giving the address and trying to keep calm as the buildings flashed past on the way to her destination. She had gotten to the apartment block in one piece, noting with approval that it didn't look like some sort of hideous bachelor hovel, and walked up the stairs to his floor in something of a trance.

It was only when she stood outside his door that she hesitated.

This could all be a huge mistake…

And I actually don't even care anymore. I honestly believe in him enough to do this – which is scary in itself – and that tells me that this is something I need to at least give a chance.

Now, all I have to do is knock.

Tentatively, she raised her hand…

xXx

From her position beside a satiated and already snoring Ulquiorra, Nel stretched, still very much experiencing the afterglow.

At least, she would have been if she hadn't been so thirsty.

Carefully getting up so as to not disturb the man beside her, Nel padded softly to the kitchen. Sure, before Grimmjow had vanished into his room to listen to music, he had instructed them to make themselves scarce since he was having company over, but Nel figured that he wouldn't mind a two minute intrusion. Besides, judging from the grin on his face when he'd announced his visitor, Nel was willing to be that this visitor was of the 'Soi Fon' persuasion and… Well, she was curious.

And she wanted to make sure the woman who had actually gotten Grimmjow Jeagerjacques to want to commit wasn't, say, a figment of his imagination.

It was with some disappointment that Nel realised no one else had entered the house. Nel frowned to herself, and then shrugged. At least she could take comfort in the knowledge that, if Grimmjow had his way, she'd get to see Soi Fon the morning after, which was an enticing prospect.

As much as Nel loved her room mates, though in very different ways, she really missed girl talk.

A knock on the door shook her from her reverie, and she only just stopped herself from answering it. With a grimace, even Nel had to admit, she couldn't receive visitors dressed like this.

Though, dressed would be a start.

Quickly, she pawed through a pile of laundry waiting to be folded on the couch, selecting a dress shirt long enough to cover everything that needed to be covered and fumbling with a buttons as she walked toward the door, just as a second knock sounded.

Satisfied that she looked… well, not entirely presentable, but sufficiently so to answer a door at one in the morning, Nel opened the door and got her first glimpse of the woman who had tamed one of her best friends.

She was pretty. No – pretty was too asinine to cover her description. Beautiful wasn't quite right either, as her features weren't quite regular enough to qualify in that respect either. She was striking, certainly, and with her small frame added to the contrast of pitch-black hair and eyes with her winter-pale skin she looked otherworldly and elfin. But there was steel in there, Nel guessed, if only in the rigid posture and the stories Grimmjow had brought home.

Nel liked her on sight.

Which made it very awkward, since she was now looking at Nel as though someone had just ripped the still-beating heart from her chest.

In quiet, even tones that didn't match the look on her face, she queried, "Is this where Grimmjow Jeagerjacques lives?"

"Yep", Nel informed her. "I can go get - "

"That won't be necessary." The expression was under control, but there was a brittle quality to her voice that didn't make sense to Nel. "I simply… made a mistake."

Without adding anything further, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Nel to call after her.

xXx

Nel spent the next two minutes trying to work out just what the fuck had happened, before deciding that she was far too tired for this shit, and that back up was required.

Without bothering to knock, she strolled in to Grimmjow bedroom, where he was currently at his sketching table, something loud and guitar-heavy accompanying him as he drew. He looked up when she reached over to turn the music off, and scowled.

"What happened to laying low? I don't exactly want you lot freaking Bee out."

Nel rolled her eyes. "If she can deal with you, she can deal with anyone. Just one thing, Grimm. Is Bee a short, slim, brunette who looks like she's never seen the sun? Was wearing a bitching black cocktail dress when you saw her last?"

The reaction was instantaneous. Grimmjow practically launched himself from his seat and was out the door before she could get another word out. He walked out into the lounge room, only to see a complete lack of Soi Fon. With a frown, he turned to Nel. "What the fuck?"

"You tell me", Nel returned. "All I did was answer the door, and she turned on her heel and practically sprinted for the door. I mean, I always suspected any woman who could tolerate you would be driven insane, but this was quick. You're not even together yet."

His mind racing, Grimmjow asked, "How long ago?"

Nel shrugged. "A couple of minutes. She'd be out of here by now. Any ideas?"

This was a nightmare, Grimmjow decided. The universe really did hate him. "I don't have a damn clue. She - "

He brought himself to a halt, his eyes fixed on Nel's attire. "Where did you get that shirt?"

"Laundry pile", Nel replied with a frown. "I figured it was probably for the best, since answering the door naked would probably qualify as 'freaking Bee out'."

His eyes wide, Grimmjow felt the pieces fall into place. "Nel, that's _my _shirt."

Nel looked down at her modesty preserver as she recognised it, and worked out just what sort of picture she would have presented to Soi Fon.

"Oh, fuck."

xXx

Instinct took over.

Numb, Soi Fon got in a cab and told the driver the one address that came into her head, the one place she always went whenever life screwed her over and she needed a hand. It wouldn't matter what her current situation was – it was the one door in her life that had always remained open to her.

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and she hurled herself into Yoruichi's arms with a sob. The older woman took one look at her and turned to her other companion.

"Kisuke, could you do two things for me? I'm out of milk, so could you please grab me some of that, and the head of Grimmjow Jeagerjacques while you're at it?"

xXx

Half an hour later, Yoruichi had wrung the entire story out of her best friend, and was sitting on the couch beside her trying to work out just what the hell was going on. The last time she had checked, Grimmjow had actually been serious about winning Soi Fon over, so this didn't seem quite right. On the other hand…

"So", Yoruichi ventured, "are you sure you read the situation right?"

Soi Fon shot her a baleful, if teary, glare. "She was wearing his shirt, had an attitude and hair style that screamed 'just been shagged against a wall', and it was definitely his place. It's pretty hard to come up with an alternative. Even though I don't think he ever mentioned a gender when he talked about who he lived with, I'm fairly sure he never told me he fucked his room mate."

Yoruichi fought the urge to wince. It wasn't looking good. "What did she look like?"

"She was built like a Victoria's Secret model with green hair", Soi Fon spat out. "Just his type. It's logical, really. I wondered from the start what the hell he saw in me. I can't believe I actually fell for all of his bullshit."

That did it. Yoruichi was going to choke the life out of the little fucker the next time she saw him. As she slung an arm around the other woman's shoulders, she declared, "All right. I have ice cream, gin and punk cabaret for us to scream along to. Let's make this happen."

She was rewarded with a watery chuckle, though it was far too brief. "What about Kisuke? He can't be out too much longer getting milk."

Yoruichi shook her head. "Oh Kami, no. I never let Kisuke run practical errands. That was code for 'leave us alone'. If I actually told Kisuke to get milk, he'd show up three days later with his eyebrows singed off, a rubber duck in hand and a police escort in tow. He's that gifted. Now," she continued, going through her selection of DVDs, "which utterly unromantic action movie shall we watch?"

Soi Fon managed half a smile, but it was an effort. Everything just seemed to hurt too much and, despite Yoruichi's best efforts to comfort her, the feeling Soi Fon most wanted to capture was the one she'd had a week ago, curled up on her couch next to –

She shuddered, and simply said, "Anything but Die Hard."

xXx

She spent the next few days at Yoruichi's home, refusing to enter the office that she'd come to associate with Gr – or, rather, the complete and utter bastard who was remaining nameless and –

Oh, what was the use? He'd always be Grimmjow to her or, worse, Grimm. She could still remember all too clearly how he'd looked at her when she'd called him that.

Soi Fon wanted to be angry. She wanted to be enraged so badly, but all she could feel, even a week later, was hurt and confused, and even the fact that Grimmjow had managed to make her feel those things wasn't able to piss her off enough to focus on that instead.

The worst part, though, was that despite all of the pain he was putting her through now, simply by existing, Soi Fon still really liked the stupid bastard.

And she missed him.

xXx

Work without Soi Fon there sucked, Yoruichi decided, and what sucked the most was that she just _knew_ Bee would be moping and there was nothing that she could do about it.

_Ugh. Fuck you Grimmjow. Fuck you and your inability to think with more than one head at a time._

So intent was she on this train of thought, that when someone knocked on her door, she barked at them to come in, never once taking her eyes off the laptop screen in front of her.

Almost at once, a delicate, lilting voice began, "You must be Yoruichi. We have a lot to discuss."

Finally looking up, Yoruichi's eyes widened, as she took in the woman in front of her.

A woman who could only be described as 'built like a Victoria's Secret model with green hair'.

xXx

When the door knocked, Soi Fon was tempted to ignore it.

On the other hand, when a voice announced that the person on the other side of the door was selling Girl Scout cookies, Soi Fon decided that, having eaten anything that could be described as comfort food that Yoruichi had in the house, it might be time to stock up.

She was, then, understandably not in the mood when she saw who her visitor was. Soi Fon went to close the door, only to find a foot resolutely blocking that option. Her eyes narrowed. "You are not a Girl Scout."

Nel took this in her stride. "Well, I was. Can't say I learned a good deal – we mostly just set things alight with minimal supervision. Anyway, my name's Nel and I need to talk to you."

"I'm not interested", Soi Fon spat out, the venom clear in her tone.

"I think you will be", Nel shot back. "I'd like to introduce you to my room mate and boyfriend."

"We've met", Soi Fon snapped, "and as far as I'm concerned, you can both go to hell!" She turned on her heel and walked back down the hall. They could stay there at her front door all day for all she cared. If they tried to come in, she'd call the police.

"Actually", a completely unfamiliar voice rang out, "I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Soi Fon looked back and froze, her gaze fixed on the man at the door who, although he was male, about the same age and almost the same height, definitely wasn't Grimmjow.

Nel beamed. "This is my partner, Ulquiorra. It's my _other_ room mate you've met before. The one who's spent the last week getting very drunk and muttering to himself incoherently about bees." As she watched comprehension dawn on Soi Fon's face, Nel's grin widened.

"Ready to strike the 'go to hell' comment yet?"

xXx

After a lengthy inner battle, Grimmjow finally had his first shot of tequila for the day.

At ten in the morning.

The truly sad part was that this made today an improvement on the last week.

Grimmjow didn't bother dressing himself for the day – after all, what was the point? He was going to stay right here, get very drunk, shot some zombies via a game console and bitch loudly at the heavens for fucking him over and making him so very miserable. If that was all he was going to do today, then who gave a fuck if he sat around the house in his space invader pyjama pants?

Grimmjow also didn't bother calling Soi Fon. He'd tried that repeatedly all week. He'd even hung around outside her house, but she wasn't there and Kisuke had made it pretty clear that Yoruichi was out for his blood, so she wouldn't be disclosing Bee's location any time some.

He certainly didn't bother getting up from his place on the couch when someone knocked at the door.

"It's open." There. That didn't sound too slurred.

Yet.

Grimmjow didn't look up when the door opened and shut behind him, but he definitely did after someone settled on the couch beside him, and a soft, all too familiar voice tentatively said, "Hi."

Grimmjow blinked, looked at Soi Fon for a long moment, blinked again, and then turned to the bottle of tequila sitting on the coffee table.

It didn't make sense. Because Bee hated him right now, so she wouldn't really be here. The only logical explanation was…

"Shit. That's some fucken potent tequila."

At which point the Soi Fon hallucination made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and threw her arms around his neck. As Grimmjow's hands went up to tangle in her hair and he smelt that faint, citrus smell he always associated with her, he was forced to admit he was wrong and that this was probably too detailed for a hallucination.

On the other hand, this meant that Bee was actually here, in his apartment and, judging from the words making it through the sobs, apologising to him.

Grimmjow, having decided that everyone had apologised more than enough these last few weeks, simply cut her off with a kiss, a slow and passionate melding of mouths and entwining of limbs that left them both gasping for breath when they pulled apart.

Soi Fon still looked stricken. "Grimm, I'm so - "

He silenced her with a finger across her lips. "We're both a bit hopeless when it comes to this shit, so I figure we're both to blame a little. But since I've got you here now, I might as well put my cards on the table. I really like you, Bee. Sure, we're probably going to drive each other bat shit insane and neither of us is exactly a relationship genius, but I like you too much not to try and make this something. So I guess I just want to know – are you in?"

A slow smile spread across Soi Fon's face, as she nodded. "I am. But Grimm, I really am so - "

This time, he cut her off by lunging forward and pressing his lips to hers, pinning her underneath him on the couch. This kiss was languid, but as lips, tongues and teeth met and teased, a slow heat began to build. It was almost miraculous, then, that Soi Fon managed to come up for air, arguing, "That's your grand plan? Kiss me to prevent me from apologising?"

"Sure." Grimmjow shrugged. "If you want genius, Bee, wait til the blood flow heads back to my brain."

She grinned and shook her head. "I'm fine with the current situation. I'm just saying, that really isn't exactly incentive to make me stop." With a defiant smirk, she fixed him with a look of anticipation. "I'm sor - "

As their lips met again, one thought crossed Grimmjow's mind.

_Yeah... She's going to drive me insane._

_…Awesome._

xXx

**Doneskis.**

**Anyhoodle, let me know what you think. Now that this is done, I'm thinking of doing some more AU stories in this universe (considerably shorter ones, though), but for now I plan to focus on the main stories I've been working on. AU is fun, but not my first love.**

**That being said, I'll probably be a sporadic poster at best for a couple of months – RL is about to hit hard. I will try, however, to give y'all something of mine to read. **

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Cheers,**

**vicioux**


End file.
